Senior Community Bulletin

One Senior Place, a revolutionary senior mall and resource center, opened Wednesday, Feb. 1. The elder care services complex is located near Florida Hospital off Interstate 4 between state roads 434 and 436. More than two dozen senior and health care-related businesses have a presence at the newly remodeled facility at 715 Douglas Ave. in Altamonte Springs. For more information about One Senior Place, call Karen Precord at 407-949-6733 or visit OneSeniorPlace.com

Join a garden club

The Orlando Garden Club is looking for some new members. If you're interested in obtaining more information, give us a call and join us at the monthly meetings of the Orlando Garden Club on the third Friday of the month during the months of September through May. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the program starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Orlando Garden Club, 710 East Rollins St. in Orlando, between the Museum of Art and Orlando Science Center. For more information or membership, call 407-682-1726, or the Clubhouse phone at 407-894-2250, or email [email protected]

Telephone bill assistance

The Link-Up Florida and Lifeline Assistance programs help make telephone service affordable to low-income customers in Florida. For info, visit http://tiny.cc/qjiw6

New census brief

The 65-and-older population represents a higher percent of the U.S. population than ever before. For more information, visit http://tiny.cc/mkzyh

Aging in place report

Most older adults want to age in place in their own homes or communities. This report examines many needed state policies. These include integrating land use, housing and transportation, efficiently delivering services in the home, providing more transportation choices, particularly for older adults who no longer drive and improving affordable, accessible housing to prevent social isolation. Visit http://tiny.cc/m7j79 for more information.

New episodes

“Aging Matters: Connecting with the Media” is a 60-minute forum that highlights the 2011 leadership program designed to give providers of senior services the tools necessary to build effective stories for the media. Visit tinyurl.com/VitalLivingForumOC to watch it.

Caregiving seminar

Counsel for Caregivers Seminar Series will be held at at the Orlando Public Library, Third Floor, Albertson Room, 101 E. Central Blvd. in Orlando, at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16. The topic being presented is “Caregiving: Getting organized and asking for help.” Please RSVP to [email protected] or 407-836-7446.

VA care changes

The Department of Veterans Affairs last week announced a change in regulations regarding payments for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans in non-VA facilities. “This provision helps ensure eligible Veterans continue to get the emergency care they need when VA facilities are not available,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said. The new regulation extends VA’s authority to pay for emergency care provided to eligible Veterans at non-VA facilities until the Veterans can be safely transferred to a VA medical facility. More than 100,000 Veterans are estimated to be affected by the new rules, at a cost of about $44 million annually. For more information about emergency care in non-VA facilities, visit www.nonvacare.va.gov

Nominate a senior volunteer

The Home Instead Senior Care office, serving seniors in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, has announced the Salute to Senior Service program to honor senior volunteers for the tireless contributions they make to their local communities. The program will include a search for the most outstanding senior volunteer in each state and culminate with the selection of a national Salute to Senior Service winner during Older Americans Month in May. Nominees must be 65 years of age or older and volunteer at least 15 hours a month. Nominations will be accepted at SalutetoSeniorService.com through March 15.

Maitland Senior Center events

The Maitland Senior Center is located at 345 S. Maitland Ave. in Maitland. The schedule is subject to change without notice. For more information, call 407-539-6251 or visit www.itsmymaitland.com

Join us on Feb. 7 at 9:30 a.m. for a free coupon class. This free Coupon Class is designed to educate people on the tremendous savings we all have right at our fingertips. Our goal is to help you cut your grocery bill in half or less. All it takes to accomplish is just a few tools and a little bit of knowledge that these classes will provide. The classes are free to anyone who wishes to attend!

From Feb. 7 – April 17, AARP will be offering free tax assistance from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Assistance is on a first-come first-served basis. Please make sure to bring all appropriate tax information with you.

Join us every Monday & Friday in February at 1 p.m. to see your favorite movies. Check out our calendar online to see what movies are showing in February.

Join John at 9 a.m. every Monday, Thursday, and Friday in February for Yoga. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring your own mat. Cost of the class is $2 to the teacher.

Do you like to knit or crochet? Do you like making new friends and sharing your favorite patterns? Then join our Knit & Crochet group every Monday in February at 10 a.m. Bring your current project and have some fun.

Join us every Monday in February at 1 p.m. for our Conversational French group. Spend some time chatting with others and making new friends. Must be fluent in French to participate.

Join Esther every Tuesday in February at 9 a.m. for Tai Chi classes. Cost of the class is $2 to the teacher.

Join Nick every Tuesday in February for Basic Italian Lessons at 11 a.m. Lessons are free.

Join us every Tuesday in February at 1 p.m. for our Conversational Spanish group. Spend some time chatting with others and making new friends. Must be fluent in Spanish to participate.

Join Ann every Friday in February for Recorder classes. Beginning classes are held at 12:30 pm and intermediate classes are held at 1 p.m. Lessons are free. Please call the Senior Center at 407-539-6251 for specifics on this class.

The Maitland Senior Center presents a program for elders on the second Friday of the month that is staffed by counselors from S.H.I.N.E. (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). The program provides free unbiased counseling about Medicare, Medigap, HMOs, Medicaid, Prescriptions Drug Plans, and Long Term Care. Bring your list of medications or Rx bottles, insurance card and red, white and blue Medicare card.

Orange County Commission on Aging newsletter

February 2012

Maturing Mind Conference

This free one-day conference is on the "Mind-Body Connection: Melding Traditional Medicine with Complementary and Alternative Therapies". It will be held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3. The MC is a humor specialist and the program will feature an assortment of alternative therapies! For info, visit adrccares.org. To register, contact Anissa Mitchell at 407-303-5295 or [email protected].

50Plus FYI Resource Expo

This free event is open to the public and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Eastmonte Civic Center, 830 Magnolia Drive, in Altamonte Springs. The Orange County Commission on Aging, and Seminole Triad are also helping with this event. Vendors still have time to submit their applications. Contact Linda Cavanaugh at 407-265-0534 or [email protected].

Advocacy Summit on Senior Issues

The Florida Council on Aging is hosting a regional advocacy summit to help Central Floridians obtain information about the 2012 Florida Legislative Session. The summit is being held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2., with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m., at the Barney E. Veal Center, 700 Generation Point, in Kissimmee. No need to RSVP.

Eco-Nomic Living Expo

Learn green principles related to your home, landscape and garden! This free expo will be held on from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Orange County/University of Florida IFAS Extension Education Center, 6021 S. Conway Road, in Orlando. For more information visit Orange.ifas.ufl.edu.

Emerging Epidemics: A Perpetual Threat

This lecture will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Werner Auditorium - Florida Hospital Orlando, 601 E. Rollins St. Admission is free, but seating is limited. RSVP to 407-303-1700.

Free lectures

The MD Anderson Center offers a series of free lectures that are open to the public. For a complete listing, and to register, please call 321-843-2584 or register online at orlandohealth.com/classes.

Counsel for Caregivers Seminar Series - FREE

"Sleep Problems and Solutions" will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, in Ocoee. Dr. Philip Retlis (Sleep & Wellness of Florida) will help you understand common sleep problems and give you ideas on how you can get a more restful night's sleep. To RSVP, ocfl.netor call 407-836-7446.

"Caregiving: Getting Organized and Asking for Help" will be held at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Downtown Orlando Library, 101 E. Central Blvd, third floor, Albertson Room. Kathleen Flammia (Flammia Law) and David Blount (Investment & Insurance Planning Service) will give you the tools to become a more organized caregiver. A free workbook is provided. To RSVP, visit ocfl.net or call 407-836-7446.

New Orange TV Episodes

Preventing Medical Errors - This 5-minute interview with Dr. Fleming helps you learn how to prevent medical errors from happening to you. Visit tinyurl.com/drfleming to watch it now!

How to De-Clutter or De-Stress your Home - This 5-minute interview with Ann Hutchens will give you tips on how to reduce the extra "stuff" in your home. Visit tinyurl.com/annhutchens to watch it now!

Buying Medical Equipment - This 5-minute interview with David Bruinsma helps you understand how Medicare covers medical equipment and how you can select the right equipment for your needs. Visit tinyurl.com/dbruinsma to watch it now!

Community Inclusion - This 60-minute interview with Dr. JR Harding and Patrick Hughes focuses on community inclusion for people with disabilities. Visit tinyurl.com/comminclusion to watch it now!

Cooking for One - Get a healthy recipe for beef stroganoff for one! Visit tinyurl.com/cookforone to get the recipe from LuAnn Duncan.

Aging and Driving

Visit the Florida GrandDriver website to sign up for a driver refreshment course, assessment tools, safety tips and more. Visit tinyurl.com/granddriver for more info.

World Alzheimer Report 2011

This report reveals that there are interventions that are effective in the early stages of dementia, some of which may be more effective when started earlier, and that there is a strong economic argument in favor of earlier diagnosis and timely intervention. The Executive Summary can be accessed at tinyurl.com/alzheimerreport.

Florida Partners for Promise

What happens when businesses engage in community? Families Prosper! A new website has been launched by the Department of Children and Families which encourages businesses to become involved in key community topics - including the promise to "support our seniors." Check it out at flpartnersforpromise.com.

2010 Census

Want to learn some interesting information about "The Older Population: 2010"? Visit tinyurl.com/censusaging to learn more.