This year’s Caregiver’s College lived up to its #CaregiversConnect theme for more than 300 people who experienced a daylong event filled with education and self-care activities. As a result, new Caregiver Support Group is planned for those who attended the event, said it’s organizer, Lydia Weeks, coordinator of TARCOG’s Alabama Cares Program.

“The development of the support group is important because it allows Alabama Cares to identify caregivers that require additional support throughout the year,” Weeks said. “Since Caregiver College only happens once a year, the goal is to create a space for family caregivers to connect, share their personal experiences, participate in activities that promote relaxation and self-care.”

As part of National Family Caregivers Month, on Nov. 17, attendees gathered for the TARCOG event from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Willowbrook at Madison church campus on Jeff Road in Huntsville. Co-hosts for the event included the Alabama Cooperative Extension Systems and The Legacy Center.

Eighth annual

In its eighth year, attendees traveled to Huntsville from as far away as Montgomery and Tuskegee. A special highlight of the event included a $1,000 donation to TARCOG to support self-care services for family caregivers donated by the families of Dr. Tonya (Jackson) Davis in honor of her mother, Brenda Jackson.

Protecting against fraud were prominent issues addressed with attendees learning strategies on how to defend themselves and others against fraudsters from morning keynote speaker, Nick Vonderau, education and public affairs manager, Alabama Securities Commission, and Dave Morrow, AARP Alabama Fraud Watch volunteer, who spoke in the closing general session. Takeaways included information on preventing identity theft and information to make informed decisions regarding investments, insurance and other decisions.

Dementia resources

The lunch keynote address was presented by Dr. Nicole Ruggiano, professor and associate dean of research at the University of Alabama-Alabama Caregiver Connect. She focused on support and resources available for people dementia and their care partners. Takeaways included learning how commercially available technologies can be used to support people with dementia and their caregivers, how to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using various technologies for caregiving purposes, and important factors to consider when adopting a new technology for caregiving.

There were 20 Caregiver College faculty members, including four at the doctorate level. Topics covered included Mental Wellness and Nutrition, All about Medicare, Parts A, B, C and D, Suicide Prevention for Caregivers, Entering the World of Caregiving, Self-Care for Caregivers, Estate Planning Basics, Medication Safety at Home, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Attendees had an opportunity to destress with interactive painting, journaling and holiday ornament creations classes.

Also adding to the educational experience were 31 exhibitors offering additional materials about products and services that support caregivers.

Volunteers

Volunteers played a key role in the event, Weeks said, thanking WAAY TV-31 News Anchors Demetria Green and Marie Waxel, who shared emcee duties throughout the day, along with Alabama A&M University student volunteers from the Honors Program and the School of Education, the Epsilon Gamma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., The Links, Inc., and other community members.

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For anyone looking to give to others during the holiday season, TARCOG’s Winter Wishes campaign is underway for 2023. By the end of November, the TARCOG office will start to look like Santa’s Workshop with our case managers transforming into elves.

TARCOG partners with numerous community partners such as local churches, individual families, organizations and community groups to sponsor recipients in the agency’s Winter Wishes Campaign, which happens in phases, said Melissa Brinkley, Medicaid Waiver Program manager. During September, she said case managers gathered information from clients with significant needs for items — or those who otherwise would not receive a holiday gift. During this phase, wish list items are identified. Each participant gets three wishes.

In October, Brinkley said summaries of the wishes are provided to TARCOG’s Winter Wishes organizer, Amber Millimaki. Then, she started disbursing the wishes to sponsors who want to fulfill a need for a participant of the Winter Wishes Program. Each sponsor decides which of the three wishes to fulfill.

During November, as donors select and shop for wishes, either TARCOG case managers pick up gifts from sponsors, or sponsors may drop off gifts at TARCOG’s office, 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450, Huntsville. (Link to directions). Then in December, TARCOG case managers/Winter Wishes Elves deliver all gifts to participants.

Anyone interested in sponsoring a Winter Wish participant or for more information may contact Amber Millimaki at 256-716-2489, 256-684-6611, or amber.millimaki@tarcog.us

TARCOG area seniors proved their true competitive spirit at the Masters Games of Alabama and brought home great memories along with 107 medals.

The Masters Games were held in Valley during the third week of October when 39 North Alabama seniors earned 51 gold medals, 19 silver, and 23 bronze medals, along with another 14 medals for the completion of a One Mile Fun Walk.

At age 90, Gene Ross, of Harvest, had two gold and three silver medals hanging around his neck when he headed home with wins in Shuffleboard, Softball Throw, Basketball Free Throw, Billiards and Cornhole.

Ross said staying active is important in the aging process.

“These games are great because first of all, you have companions and friends of a lifetime participating and encouraging each other to get out there and do it,” he said. “Even if you can’t do it well, it keeps you moving.”

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ross is a graduate of Kenyon College, and longtime North Carolina resident. He participated in and served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Senior Games while in North Carolina. He moved to North Alabama to be closer to his son after the death of his wife of 63 years, Ginny.

“I looked it up down here, found the Masters Games and started participating,” Ross said.

The Masters Games of Alabama is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for active adults ages 50 and older. The goal of the games is to promote social, mental and physical activities for this age group.

From the opening to closing ceremonies, participants expressed excitement, determination and a friendly competitive spirit throughout the games which were held from Monday, Oct. 16 through Thursday, Oct. 19. It was the first competition since COVID-19.

A little more than 250 attendees from around the state participated in a Fun Walk and competed in Rook, Cornhole, Shuffleboard Billiards, Domino Singles, Pickleball, Billiards, Table Tennis, Bowling, Dominoes Doubles, Nerf and Frisbee throws.

The fun didn’t stop there. Pop up card games and impromptu line dancing were among ways participants kept themselves occupied between games. Women swooned as Elvis performed during the Sock Hop Wednesday evening.

On the younger side of the competition, Joann Carter, 54, of Fort Payne, participated for the first time. She works with the DeKalb County Center on Aging as a nutrition coordinator.

“I’m embracing life every day,” Carter said. “I love my job and I love life and I enjoy seeing our seniors, and well, myself, get out and live life and have fun and just be encouraged to do our best.”

She brought home six gold medals in the basketball free throw, cornhole, domino singles, frisbee throw, Nerf throw and softball through.

“Everyone had a great time and can’t wait until we do it all over again next year,” said Emmitt Davis, TARCOG’s Community Services Coordinator who also serves of the board of the Alabama Masters Games.

Click here for more photos of the 2023 Masters Games of Alabama

RESULTS: Masters Games of Alabama

North Alabama Medal Winners

Representing Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) and North Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) in Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan counties.

Roger Bedingfield, Athens

2nd Billiards

2nd Table Tennis

Linda Black, Athens

3rd Billiards

1st Table Tennis

Amy Golden, Athens

1st Basketball Free Throw

1st Frisbee Throw

1st Nerf Throw

2nd Shuffleboard

2nd Softball Throw

Tony Thornock, Athens

1st Cornhole

1st Domino Singles

3rd Frisbee Throw

2nd Nerf Throw

Larry Snell, Athens

3rd Basketball Free Throw

1st Softball Throw

Christine Ashley, Fort Payne

3rd Cornhole

1st Nerf Throw

Joann Carter, Fort Payne

1st Basketball Free Throw

1st Cornhole

1st Domino Singles

1st Frisbee Throw

1st Nerf Throw

1st Softball Throw

Debbie Daniel, Fort Payne

3rd Basketball Free Throw

2nd Frisbee Throw

1st Nerf Throw

3rd Shuffleboard

2nd Softball Throw

Connie Green, Fort Payne

2nd Domino Singles

3rd Nerf Throw

Denise Harris, Sylvania

1st Bowling

3rd Domino Singles

Wanda Henderson, Fort Payne

3rd Basketball Free Throw

2nd Cornhole

3rd Softball Throw

Dee Vaughn, Geraldine

1st Basketball Free Throw

1st Bowling

1st Cornhole

1st Shuffleboard

1st Softball Throw

Debra Collins, Athens

1st Basketball Free Throw

3rd Billiards

1st Cornhole

3rd Shuffleboard

3rd Softball Throw

Dianne Manning, Collinsville

1st Bowling

1st Cornhole

James Manning, Collinsville

1st Bowling

2nd Cornhole

3rd Softball Throw

Carmie Pettry, Fyffe

3rd Bowling

Charles Simmons, Collinsville

2nd Bowling

Regina Emerson, Elkmont

1st Basketball Free Throw

2nd Billiards

3rd Frisbee Throw

3rd Nerf Throw

1st Softball Throw

Steve McFarland, Athens

1st Basketball Free Throw

1st Cornhole

Gene Ross, Harvest

2nd Basketball Free Throw

2nd Billiards

2nd Cornhole

1st Shuffleboard

1st Softball Throw

George Stone, Union Grove

1st Basketball Free Throw

3rd Softball Throw

Ann McLemore, Athens

3rd Domino Singles

STATE PARTNER MEDAL WINNERS

Amy M. Golden, Athens / Tony G. Thornock, Athens

1st Domino Doubles

Betty Bolton, Athens / Claude N. Marks, Athens

1st Rook

Carolyn H. Weatherford, Athens / Peggy J. Davis, Athens

1st Pickleball Doubles

Denise Harris, Sylvania / Wanda J. Henderson, Fort Payne

1st Rook

Dot A. Twilley, Fort Payne / Patsy E. Griggs, Fort Payne

3rd Rook

Krystyn “Krys” Gromek, Athens / Carolyn H. Weatherford, Athens

1st Pickleball Mixed Doubles

Larry L. Snell, Athens / Steve McFarland, Athens

1st Pickleball Doubles

Linda C. Black, Athens / Ann N. McLemore, Athens

1st Rook

Regina M. Emerson, Elkmont / Tony Thornock, Athens

2nd Rook

Rhonda Weatherford, Athens / Jenny K. Ford, Athens

1st Pickleball Doubles

Rhonda Weatherford, Athens / Larry Snell, Athens

3rd Pickleball Mixed Doubles

ONE-MILE FUN WALK

Christine Ashley, Fort Payne

Linda Black, Athens

Betty Bolton, Athens

Joann Carter, Fort Payne

Debra Collins, Athens

Debbie Daniel, Fort Payne

Regina Emerson, Elkmont

Connie Green, Fort Payne

Patsy Griggs, Fort Payne

Wanda Henderson, Fort Payne

Steve McFarland, Athens

Louise Snell, Athens

Tony Thornock, Athens

Dot Twilley, Fort Payne

The TARCOG region filled a dozen places make it on the Masters Games of Alabama Scoring Highlights List. Overall winners from District 2, which includes Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties were:

In the BASKETBALL Free Throw, all women had to shoot 21 shots from the adjusted free throw line. This year, a new rule was added that allowed women aged 80 and older to shoot from a shorter goal. All men had to shoot 30 shots. Those who were 80-plus also shot from the adjusted line. Anyone under 80 shot from the regular free throw line.

Female

• Sarah “Alice” Miller, Lacey’s Spring, won Second Best Women’s Score for hitting 10 baskets, Female, Age 90+

Male

• Dee Vaughn, Geraldine, Best Men’s Score for hitting 28 baskets, Age 55-59
• Charles “Rick” White, Cullman, 2^nd Best Men’s Score for hitting 24 baskets, Age 80-84
• Earnest Lee, Hartselle, 2^nd Best Men’s Score for hitting 24 baskets, Age 85-89
• George Stone, Union Grove, 3^rd Best Men’s Score for hitting 23 baskets, Age 70-74

BOWLING

Female

• Dianne Manning, Collinsville, 2^nd Best Women’s Score with a three-game total of 452, Age 77-79
• Denise Harris, Sylvania, 4^th Best Women’s Score with a three-game total score of 369, Age 65-69

Male

• Charles Simmons, Collinsville, 4^th Best Men’s Score with a three-game total score of 507, Age 80-84

NERF THROW

Male

• Tony Thornock, Athens, was in the Male Age 75 – 79 group which had the longest and farthest playoff rounds in the Nerf ball throw. After seven playoff rounds, starting at 15 feet and finishing at 30 feet, Thornock earned 2nd place

SHUFFLEBOARD There were 54 female and 16 male bracketed games.

Male

• Earnest Lee, Hartselle, Best Men’s Score with 50 points, Age 85-89

SOFTBALL THROW

Male

• Dee Vaughn, Geraldine, Best Men’s Throw at 123 feet, Age 55-59
• Larry Snell, Athens, 2^nd Best Men’s Throw at 117 feet, Age 75-79

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS to all of our winners!

TARCOG staff along with Alta Planning + Design consultants got on-the-ground guidance of the safety challenges faced by the region during the first stakeholders meeting for the new Regional Safety Action Plan currently under development for DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall and portions of Limestone counties.

A Safety Committee, comprised of technical advisors with a particular focus on roadway safety across the region, met virtually on Thursday, Oct. 26. Committee members include representatives from local city and county public safety staff, local city and county engineers, local economic development agencies, and local planning departments and agencies.

Lee Terry, TARCOG’s director of economic development and planning says the Safety Committee’s goal is to guide the Regional Safety Action Plan development process by providing information about challenges faced in each community.

“We want to thank those who attended this first virtual meeting and look forward to the great work that will come out of the commitment that these individuals and their interest in improving safety for the region’s roadway users,” Terry said.

The project is funded by the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

He said next steps will include public meetings to discuss the project which are expected to be scheduled in November. Once meeting times and locations are established, they will be posted on the TARCOG website and social media. For more information, contact 256-830-0818. Any questions or information requests about this process please contact TARCOG Economic Development & Planning Staff.

The new executive board for the TARCOG Board of Directors was finalized at our Oct. 24 meeting.

This year, Madison City Councilwoman Connie Spears is president, Athens City Councilman James E. Lucas is vice president, Guntersville City Councilman John Myers is secretary, and Arab Mayor Bob Joslin is treasurer. The ex-officio is Larry Chesser, a citizen of Fort Payne.

The board’s next meeting will be Thursday, Dec. 7, at the TARCOG office, 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450.

Debra Davis, deputy commissioner of the Alabama Department of Senior Services was in Huntsville on Wednesday, Oct. 25, to check on the food quality of meals being served at Studio 60, formerly the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center.

She ate lunch with seniors and also took a tour of the facility while in town seeing where participants get creative with activities like wood working, making stained glass. She met staff and saw seniors engaging in card playing, exercise and dropped in on the facility’s Day Care as well.

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More than 500 people attended the Successful Aging Initiative Conference of the Virginia Caples Lifelong Learning Institute on Oct. 19, at Union Hill Primitive Baptist Church in Huntsville. It was the first in-person conference since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

TARCOG’s Alabama CARES Program Coordinator, Lydia Weeks, was moderator of a General Session and TARCOG staff provided resources and its Virtual Dementia Tour for interested participants.

This year’s conference theme, “Live Well to Age Well” was to promote being proactive and taking intentional approaches to aging with presentations and activities designed to encourage participants to: Stay Healthy by seeking to avoid and manage disease and disability; Stay Engaged by living physically and socially active lifestyles; and Stay Informed by identifying resources and developing a plan for aging. The event is sponsored annually by the Alabama Extension’s Urban Affairs unit.

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You’ve seen the TV commercials or banners offering help with Open Enrollment for Medicare programs. There are many offers out there from private insurers that make it seemlike they’re official government channels. The thing to know is that the only government authorized and unbiased assistance you will find in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison and Marshall counties is through TARGOG and the Alabama State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

At TARCOG, SHIP Resource Specialist Teresa Hazzard is available to answer questions about Open Enrollment for Medicare programs, which begins Oct. 15, and ends Dec. 7.  For more information contact teresa.hazzard@tarcog.us or 256-716-2452.