Welcome to another edition of The Senior Bulletin, a weekly update for older adults in Central Massachusetts and their allies.
We have been so excited to see sunny weather this week and hope you are all doing well. Remember to roll your clocks ahead this Sunday for Daylight Savings Time!
Read on for local events, updates, and the latest COVID-19 vaccine information.
|
|
CMAA UPDATES
|
CMAA and WCSO Deliver 1,000
COVD-19 ‘File of Life’ Cards to Southbridge Area
This past week, the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging worked with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Harrington Healthcare, and the Southbridge Casaubon Senior Center to deliver 1,000 ‘COVID-19 File of Life’ cards to older adults in the Southbridge area.
This stop was part of our effort to deliver 10,000 ‘COVID-19 File of Life’ cards to local senior centers and aging service access points across Central Massachusetts!
‘File of Life’ cards contain important medical information for first responders in the event of an emergency call. These cards now also provide a safe place for seniors to store their COVID-19 vaccination information.
Thank you to our community partners, including the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, for this collaboration. We are excited to continue serving the seniors in our region!
CMAA Celebrates Women’s History Month
Each day on our social media, we will be highlighting a woman in history whose has made an impact on women’s history.
Follow us on social media to learn more about these important individuals! Click the social media buttons below to be directly connected to our accounts.
|
Eldercare 2021 Is Coming Soon!
Mark your calendars for May 3, 2021 because #ElderCare2021 is coming to a screen near you!
Learn about local resources and information for older adults in Central Massachusetts virtually. We’ll be broadcasting the event online on our Youtube page and across the region on access television stations starting on May 3rd.
Presented by:
Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging &
Sheriff Lew Evangelidis of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office
Sponsored by:
Joseph D. Early Jr. Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Reliant Medical Group, UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Medical School, Unibank, Fallon Health, and WTAG News Radio.
|
|
EVENTS AND MORE
Leominster Senior Center Drive-Thru St. Patrick’s Day Lunch
The Leominster Senior Center will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Drive Thru Lunch on Wednesday, March 17th at 12:00pm.
Space is limited, so contact the Senior Center at (978) 534-7511 to reserve your spot!
Clinton Senior Center Zumba at St. John’s Gym
Join the Clinton Senior Center on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30pm for an hour of Zumba!
St. John’s Gym is located at 149 Chestnut Street in Clinton.
To sign-up, contact the Clinton Senior Center at 978-733-4747.
Winchendon History and Cultural Center Looking for Volunteer Tour Guides
The Winchendon History and Cultural Center is looking for volunteers to give tours of their buildings for this season. No experience necessary. They’ll show you what to do!.
Message them on their Facebook page or call 978-833-3025 for more information!
|
|
CENTRAL MA RESOURCES
Massachusetts COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Currently, the following groups are eligible for vaccinations:
- people listed in Phase 1
- people age 65 and older
- people over the age of 16 with 2+ certain medical conditions
- caregivers accompanying people 75+ to vaccination appointments
-
adults who live or work in public and private low income and affordable senior housing
- K-12 educators, child care workers, and K-12 school staff
Please note that vaccine supplies are very limited. It may take several weeks to get an appointment, so be mindful and patient as best you can.
Here is a link to information about what medical conditions are currently eligible in the current phase: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccinations-for-individuals-with-certain-medical-conditions
|
|
Have you registered for your vaccination appointment yet?
There are several ways to do so!
For online scheduling, visit www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine.
The state is regularly updating it to reflect new information and working to simplify the appointment process.
The state is also rolling out a pre-registration link to be notified when it’s your turn to schedule an appointment at a mass vaccination location. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/info-details/preregister-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-appointment
For those with limited internet access or who have difficulty navigating the website, the state has a 211 phone line to register for an appointment. This phone line has with over 500 staffers available for multilingual live phone support. To access, dial 2-1-1.
CMAA has also added COVID-19 vaccination information to the homepage of our website, including a link to the part of the Massachusetts state website with vaccination clinic locations. (The link can also be found here.) Our Agency is not able to schedule appointments for you, but we are here to point you in the right direction!
Your primary care provider and local senior center can also be of great assistance when it comes to determining eligibility and how to schedule a vaccination appointment.
|
|
For our friends in Uxbridge, Mendon, Douglas, and Northbridge
The Uxbridge Board of Health now has a COVID-19 Vaccine Notification form available! Click here to access the form.
If you are a resident or an employee who works in Uxbridge, Mendon, Douglas, or Northbridge and are interested in receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine, please compete this form so they can notify you when a clinic becomes available to you. You can fill out this form on behalf of someone else. If you are inquiring about several individuals, please fill out one form for each individual. Notifications will be sent by email.
The state is closely following a Vaccine Distribution Plan. The vaccine is being distributed in order of Priority identified in the plan. They will use the information gathered in this form to provide you updates on where and when you can receive the vaccine. More information on the COVID-19 vaccine is found at www.mass.gov/vaccine.
For those with concerns about the safety of the vaccine or what information can be trusted, we have found an excellent resource to answer your questions.
The state of Massachusetts has a very thorough information section about what the vaccine is comprised of, how it works to protect you against COVID-19, and more.
Visit www.mass.gov/info-details/trust-the-facts-get-the-vax to learn more.
|
|
The AARP Tax-Aide Program Is Available to Help You Navigate Tax Season!
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides in-person and remote tax assistance free of charge to anyone, with a special focus on taxpayers who are 50 or older or who have low to moderate income.
Tax-Aide volunteers are located nationwide, and are trained and IRS-certified every year to make sure they know about and understand the latest changes and additions to the tax code. Tax help is provided in safe environments using a variety of methods based on a number of factors, including where you are located, COVID-19 spread, and volunteer availability. Visit aarp.org/taxaide for more details.
(If you or anyone you know would like to have something highlighted in our weekly newsletter, email akrasinski@seniorconnection.org.)