Before long, the leaves will start turning from green to gold, red and brown, SEC football Saturdays will be in full swing, and if you’re an avid TV watcher, commercials related to Medicare Open Enrollment will appear.
You know the ones. In the past, they’ve been dominated by former NFL star Joe Namath, actor William Shatner, and comedian J.J. Walker.
While TARCOG staff may be fans of the paid spokesmen, that doesn’t mean we encourage you to listen to them to find the best options for you or your loved ones, said Executive Director Michelle Jordan.
TARCOG is available to assist people in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties with the open enrollment process which starts in October, she said. Open enrollment is the opportunity for participants to compare health and prescription drug plans or add extra benefits. If they haven’t done so already, Jordan encourages all participants to review their plans before the deadline in December.
IMPACT
It’s a move that impacts people’s bottom line and potentially the economy, said Lee Terry, TARCOG’s director of Economic Development and Planning.
“Anywhere we can save money related to our healthcare gives us more income we can spend in other areas to boost the economy,” Lee added.
HOW IT WORKS
Teresa Hazzard is TARCOG’s resource coordinator, State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) coordinator and Senior Medicare Patrol counselor. She is the agency’s subject matter expert on all things Medicare-related. And she’s someone you can count on to help you make an unbiased and informed decision. Her goal, along with other SHIP counselors in the region, is to save you money.
“By letting SHIP do a free comparison, you have the opportunity of substantial savings in premium and drug cost,” Teresa said.
For those who have never asked for help from a SHIP counselor before, she encourages them to schedule an appointment for an in-person interview. For those who are repeat clients, a worksheet and telephone appointment will suffice.
She is already scheduling appointments for the enrollment period from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is the only time of the year that Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare Part D Prescription plan or Medicare Advantage Plan.
“As the Medicare Open Enrollment period approaches, seniors will most likely notice an increase in mail from insurance companies offering a variety of plans,” she said. “I always like to advise the community to beware of possible scams.”
TIPS TO AVOID SCAMS
It is important to remember the following:
No one should knock on your door to sell you a policy. They should only come to your home if you have made an appointment.
Never sign paperwork unless you are 100 percent sure that is the plan you want.
Never give out your Medicare number unless it is a Medicare provider. Protect your Medicare number as you protect your Credit/Debit cards and your Social Security cards.
Medicare will NEVER call you on the phone. They will always send a letter requesting that you call them.
Disclaimers from Advantage Plans agencies must be given within the first minute of conversation.
SHIP must be mentioned by agencies who are calling potential clients about commercial content.
All calls must be recorded.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Teresa at 256-830-0818 or at teresa.hazzard@tarcog.us
Let’s talk about cooler weather. Or even cold weather. How about snow? Have you started thinking about your holiday plans yet?
Here at TARCOG, the holidays are top of mind for our aging and disabled populations because while the weather may be colder, the season can be lonely and depressing.
“That’s why we started our annual Winter Wishes,” said Medicaid Waiver Program Manager Melissa Brinkley. “TARCOG provides care to a growing caseload more than 1,000 clients and starting this month, TARCOG case managers are talking to clients about their needs and wants to create wish lists for those clients.
“While the majority of TARCOG’s clients are older, case managers who work with disabled clients may be working with infants, teens, and even middle-aged populations as well,” Melissa said.
This year, Melissa is putting out the word early that more sponsors will be needed this year to help fulfill the wishes.
“In this program, we ask interested sponsors to fill at least one of the wishes on a person’s list,” she said. “In the past, we’ve had amazing sponsors who have fulfilled every wish and then some. It is always a beautiful and uplifting time of year to see how giving our communities are to those who truly may not receive any other type of gift.”
Sponsors range from interested individuals to churches, social groups, clubs, neighborhoods, and more.
Anyone can be a sponsor, Melissa said. She encourages anyone interested in participating in Winter Wishes 2024 should contact Amber Millimaki at 256-830-0818 or amber.millimaki@tarcog.us
As we enter September, the TARCOG staff has its eyes set on the 2024 Huntsville Walk to End Alzheimer’s Disease in October.
TARCOG’s “The Top Team” will again be walking for a cure and we hope you, your family and friends will join us in this endeavor.
This year’s theme is “Fighting for a Different Future.” For those who work or live with the aging population, we all understand how this disease impacts lives each and every day.
This year, TARCOG wants to raise $3,000 for the walk, which will take place on SATURDAY, OCT. 26 at Big Spring Park in downtown Huntsville. Registration and check in begin at 9:30 a.m.. The opening ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by the walk.
We would love to have as many people as possible to show up and walk with us.
TARCOG invites you to join our team either as a walker or fundraiser. Follow the link to sign up or to make a donation to The Top Team!
How long have you been at TARCOG and what do you do? I’ve been here nine years and nine months. I process the payroll for TARCOG and the Senior Employment Program — and all other things accounting related.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Exactly who I am now, working in the accounting field, wife, mother and grammy. I have been so blessed and I love my life.
What do you hope to accomplish within the next year? To spend as much time with my three grandbabies (and their parents) and maybe gain another baby or two!
Who is your hero and why? My high school sweetheart AKA my husband. He continues to support me in everything I do. He’s a good listener and gives the best advice. We love spending time together and now that our children are grown, it has been a blessing watching him be a “Poppy” to our grandbabies.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Probably just doing a much-needed project around my home. Checking things of my “to-do” list makes me happy.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? I actually have two that I try to live by. The first one is if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right the first time and the second one is never put off doing something tomorrow that you can do today. Both of those can apply to my personal life and my professional life.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done? This was not intentional, but while picking blackberries in a cow pasture several of us were chased by a Brahman bull, we had to wade a creek and cross under a bob-wire fence to return to our vehicle. I’m a farm girl and usually this type of thing does not scare me, but that day was very frightening!
Needless to say, we left our buckets of blackberries in the pasture and never returned for them!
Who knows you the best? I would say my husband of 40 years, we share everything.
What would you do if you won the lottery? You must play to even dream about winning and I’m too frugal to do so. I think I will just keep what I have worked for.
Congratulations Susan! Thank you for all that you do!
The Limestone County Council on Aging and Limestone Manor will hold a free 2024 Health Fair — Treasure Your Health — on Friday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Central Church of Christ Gym, 320 Highway 31 N. in Athens.
As part of National Grandparents Month in September, St. Bartley P.B. Church will hold a National Grandparents Day Celebration at its Fellowship Hall, 3020 Belafonte Ave. NW in Huntsville on Sunday, Sept. 8 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Anyone with questions may contact Stephanie Daffin at daffinsr8@gmail.com or 256-468-2106.
The event is co-sponsored by TARCOG, AARP and the Alabama A&M and Auburn Extension Service. Click for more details.
Tickets are available to help STUDIO 60 celebrate 50 years of dedication and service to the community. Read more about this special celebration for STUDIO 60, which was incorporated in 1974 as the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center. Three local agencies merged with the aim of providing services and social opportunities to area senior adults. Today, the 47,500-square-foot center located on Drake Avenue serves as a hub for various member activities, including exercise, dance, sports, creative arts, and learning.
These opportunities are free to residents of Huntsville and Madison County who are age 60 and above.
The Gala will be Saturday, Oct. 5 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at STUDIO 60, 2200 Drake Ave. SW. Tickets are $100 each and includes valet parking, dinner by Narvell, Live Music, Dancing, Champagne and Whiskey Pulls, a Silent Auction, speciality drinks and desserts.
If the name Sharon Buck sounds familiar, one of the reasons may be because she helped you or someone you know find affordable prescription medications through the SenioRx Program in Marshall County.
For all of the things Sharon does or has done, and how she gives back to the community, this month she was honored with an Area Agency on Aging Award during the Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame ceremony.
“We are so proud of Sharon for her day-to-day accomplishments but also for this prestigious honor,” said TARCOG’s Director of Aging Programs, Sheila Dessau-Ivey. “This year, for three consecutive quarters the TARCOG Region’s SenioRx program was first place in the state for new clients. Sharon is one of six coordinators who made this happen.”
Sharon was surprised almost speechless when she read the notification letter while going through mail after she and her husband returned home from a trip.
“I started reading it and I’m like, ‘Um. Um. Okay. Well. Oh my! Well!’ And of course I had a shocked look on my face,” Sharon said. “My husband asked, ‘What is it?’ And all I could say was ‘Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!’ And I just handed him the letter.”
A humble Sharon said she feels honored and blessed about the recognition.
Sharon lives in Guntersville and has worked part-time for four years with the Marshall County Council on Aging. Her employment stemmed from her participation in the Senior Community Service Employment Program through TARCOG. That’s how she re-entered the workforce following a brain injury that left her on disability and only eligible to work part-time.
“I forgot how to the play the piano, I forgot a lot of things and still trying to get it all back,” Sharon said.
Her openness about her own health struggles helps her connect to her with those seeking help with their medications.
“I didn’t come to the job for the money,” Sharon says. “I do it to supplement my disability check but more than anything I do it to help people. It’s a pay it forward thing for me. The extra money is nice, but I just like being around people and helping people. I enjoy doing what I do, and I love my clients.”
Marshall County Aging Programs Director Tammy McElroy said Sharon is a dedicated employee who truly cares about those she serves.
“She is very deserving because she works very hard for her clients,” Tammy added.
Sharon took several family members with her to the award ceremony, which was held on Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Conference Center at Capitol Hill.
Attendees of TARCOG’s Fraud and Scam Summit on Thursday, Aug. 8 described the event as “wonderful and informative” that provided them with “useful tools” to better protect themselves.
The keynote speaker, Mikala McCurry, senior public affairs specialist with the Alabama Securities Commission, presented a “Self Defense Class – How to Defend Yourself and Others Against Fraudsters.”
Among topics she covered for the 161 participants at the Robert “Bob” Harrison Senior Wellness and Advocacy Center in Huntsville included investment, romance, and pig butchering scams.
She said recent research has shattered the stereotype of investment fraud victims as isolated, frail and gullible. Instead, she said people who meet the following criteria fit the profile of an investment fraudster’s prime target:
Self-reliant when it comes to making decisions
Optimistic
Above-average income
Well educated
Open to listening to new ideas or sales pitches
Above-average financial knowledge
Experienced a recent health or financial setback
And it happens in multiple ways.
The Romance Scam
Scammers portray to be a love interest to gain trust before asking for money. Some Red Flags include:
Quickly professing love or quick use of terms of endearment
Grammatical errors in text messages
Never video calling or meeting in person
Asking for large sums of money for an “emergency” or “crisis”
Encouraging you to invest in cryptocurrency
Little to no online or social media footprint
Quickly urging you to change social media platforms
Pig Butchering Scam
Scammers connect in a seemingly innocent way and build a connection or relationship with the victim over a long period of time before stealing money through cryptocurrency investments or asking for large sums of money for a crisis or other fraudulent “opportunities” under the guise of helping you protect your assets.
Some Red Flags include:
Out of the blue text message from a wrong number
Build a relationship over time
Encourage potential victim to start investing in cryptocurrency
Asking for large sums of money for emergencies
Quickly switch from one messaging/dating/social media platform to another one to avoid detection.
McCurry offered some helpful tips she calls the “DO NOT DO” List including:
Use the same password for everything
Create a document called “Passwords” where you keep track of all of your passwords.
Click on unfamiliar or strange links
Allow strangers access to your devices
Don’t send money, trade, or invest with a person you have only met online
Never give out personal information over the phone, email, or social media
Connect to “FREE Wi-Fi” or public charging stations
And on the “DO” List of Financial Protection Tips, she included:
Routinely check your bank and credit card statements, investment accounts and credit report
Protect your personal information
Verify individuals selling investments and their products and anyone giving investment advice
Seek advice from a trusted source
Ask questions
Do your own research
Request written information and/or documentation
Take your time and exercise caution
Report immediately if you suspect or become a victim of fraud
Remember STRANGER DANGER
Mikala said the Alabama Securities Commission is available to help. “Before you invest, check it out,” she said. Call her office at 800-222-1253 if you are suspicious or have questions. You may also reach the ASC by email at ASC@asc.alabama.gov or visit the website at www.asc.alabama.gov
TARCOG staff is available by calling 256-830-0818.
In addition to her presentation, Mikala also joined a panel discussion and Question and Answer session with co-presenters Teresa Hazzard, TARCOG resource coordinator with the State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol counselor, Karen Reeves, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama, Denise Cassidy, the Bank Secrecy Act Manager at Redstone Federal Credit Union, Christopher Edwards, Huntsville police investigator in the Cyber and Financial Crimes Unit, TARCOG Elder Law Attorney LaTanya Rhines, and Todd Long, Electronic Content Administrator for Huntsville Utilities. The moderator of the summit was LeQuitta Gaskins, TARCOG’s outreach manager.
Exhibitors sharing additional information with participants included: Better Business Bureau of North Alabama, Community Action Partnership, VIVA Healthcare, Preferred Care at Home, Home Instead and Huntsville Utilities.
TARCOG thanks all who attended and participated in the event, and the Bob Harrison Center staff.
Where People and history come together in unexpected ways
Staff and seniors walk along Alabama Avenue to City Drug for ice cream.
Sitting on the front porch and waiting to die is not how 62-year-old Trelvis Barnhill wants to live, so he found the Bridgeport Senior Center, where he’s sitting down for lunch for the second time.
He’s new to the community he describes as laid-back. Coming from Atlanta, it’s a different pace for him and he’s trying to adjust.
“When my father got older, he sat on the front porch,” Trelvis said. “I remember visiting him and asking him what he was doing, and he said, ‘I’m sitting here waiting to die’ and that’s not me. I am waiting on the Lord.”
By visiting the senior center, he said he enjoys the food and hopes to meet people and figure out something to do besides sitting on the porch.
Whether Trelvis knows it or not yet, while Bridgeport may have a laid-back feel with a friendly vibe, the small town of about 2,300 people is an historic town. Situated along the Tennessee River and less than 10 minutes from the Tennessee state line. The first railroad bridge over the Tennessee River was completed here in 1854. There’s now a walking bridge across the river and the seniors take a stroll there from time to time.
There is a walking bridge next to the railroad bridge across the Tennessee River in Bridgeport.
During the Civil War the town was a strategic site because of the rail line and the river. Today, the Bridgeport Depot Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. It’s just down the street from the senior center, which is on Alabama Avenue in the heart of the small downtown area.
The center is on Alabama Avenue, not far from the site of a deadly natural gas explosion in 1999 that forever changed the town. Three men died instantly and at least nine others were critically injured, with one more dying as a result of injuries in the spring of the following year. Three buildings were leveled, and several others were damaged.
The Town Park sits across the street from the Bridgeport Senior Center is an amphitheater, pavilion, fountain and playground.
The tragedy will never be forgotten and today the town continues to work on a revitalization plan. Across the street from the senior center, an amphitheater, pavilion, and a playground make up the Town Park. It is also where the annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride starts in Alabama each September.
Bridgeport and its residents embrace its historic highs and lows. And they share their stories at the senior center.
Sue Lokotar, 73, recently returned to the center following her husband Bob’s death. They started going to the center together about 10 years ago and attended regularly until he got sick.
One of the best parts about the Bridgeport Senior Center, she said, is the stories you hear.
“There are all kinds of stories,” she said. Including her own.
Sue Lokotar, Doris Clark and Ethel Ferguson share stories while working on a puzzle at the Bridgeport Senior Center.
Some 21 years ago, Sue was living in Canada and Bob was in Wisconsin when they met in an online chatroom while both were recovering from different surgeries. When they both healed enough to meet it person, it didn’t take long for them to tie the knot. After one winter together in Wisconsin, they agreed to look for a more tolerable climate and wound up purchasing property in Bridgeport.
Getting back to the Senior Center after Bob’s passing has been good for her spirits.
“I love it here,” Sue said. “The socialization with the little ladies here is amazing.”
According to U.S. Census Data, 22.4 percent of the town’s population is 65 and older. And several count on the Senior Center for food, fun and friends.
Mary Anne Tennant is the new manager of the Bridgeport Senior Center
Trelvis isn’t the only new face in town and the center either. Mary Anne Tennant became the center’s new director mid-July. She and her husband Larry moved to Bridgeport in December after he retired from the ministry.
“We were looking for a place we could afford, and this was the first place we looked, and we bought the second house we looked at – it’s a hobby farm,” she said. “And we love it here.”
A friend from church told Mary Anne about the opening at the senior center, thinking it would be a perfect fit for her. She agreed, applied and was hired.
“I’m excited about being here,” she said at the end of her first week on the job. There’s a small crowd on this July 19th morning, with games and conversation taking priority.
Hot meals are prepared for 15 at the center and another 33 homebound meals are delivered, said Linda Larcom, nutrition coordinator for the Jackson County Council on Aging who is at the center training Mary Anne.
Ethel Ferguson, 90, soon to be 91 in November, is thankful for a meal she doesn’t have to fix and the van ride that gets her to the center.
“I live by myself and it’s good to get out of the house, talk to people and get a hot meal that I don’t have to cook,” Ethel said. She doesn’t always feel like fixing a meal.
She’s been going to the center for 25-plus years. Ethel recalls growing up working on a farm and picking cotton and corn with a pickaxe and hoe. She left the farm for town started working at the hosiery mill a few weeks before she turned 16. She worked there until it closed and found a job at the sewing factory. A work injury forced her to retire early.
Ethel Ferguson has been a participant with the Bridgeport Senior Center’s longer than anyone else.
“I miss working. I wish I could work now,” she added. “When I retired, I was home by myself.”
The Senior Center has been a mainstay of her weekday life.
“I enjoy associating with others because it helps get through the day,” Ethel said. “We’re real lucky to have a van, otherwise, I would not be able to come. I’ve been riding the van since it started, and it also takes me to the doctor, or the store and it really helps.”
Doris Clark, 86, has been attending the center for the past two years.
“I love playing BINGO, putting together puzzles, or whatever is going on,” she said.
Enjoying ice cream at “The Scoop” at City Drug in downtown Bridgeport.
A new ice cream stand at City Drug down the street is becoming a popular Friday after lunch excursion for center participants. They walk down Alabama Avenue to the store, so the extra calories don’t count as much.
Sherry Mitchell, 68, has been coming to the center since she was 50 as a volunteer, helping prepare meals, deliver meals and clean up.
“I knew all of the people here and I enjoy helping them,” she added.
Among those at the Bridgeport Senior Center on July 19 were from left, Sue Lokotar, Doris Clark, Sue Smith, Ethel Ferguson, Wanda Shavers, Mary Anne Tennant, Linda Larcom, and Brenda Robinson.
For the past 17 years, Brenda Robinson, 57, has been the van driver for the center. She also helps with lunches, plays games and just enjoys being with the older crowd.
“I enjoy watching them and sometimes I bring my granddaughter, Jelani, who is now five.,” Brenda said. “She’s been coming since she was born and they have all held her, fed her and changed her. She knows and loves them all.”
As Jelani grows older, Brenda said she gets in trouble for telling her granddaughter to stop asking so many questions.
“They love her too,” she said. “She has a lot of grandparents.”
Volunteer Sue Smith handling paperwork at the Bridgeport Senior Center.
Sue Smith, 64, stopped at the center eight months ago to volunteer. As a cancer survivor since 2013, she enjoys helping others following her experience.
“I would drive by the center and the Lord impressed me to stop and do something besides sitting at home in my chair doing nothing,” Sue said. “Now I’m enjoying giving back to the older generation, cheering them up and giving them love and attention and the Lord has blessed me tenfold for it.”
For more information about the Bridgeport Senior Center, contact Mary Anne Tennant at 256-495-3383 or just stop by the center at 411 Alabama Ave.
