The Senior Scene

Cascade Regional Blood Services’ bloodmobiles are getting around with an eye-catching new look.
Previously painted blue with pictures of children on the sides, bloodmobiles now sport the red, black and white design that’s used by the agency in its marketing.
“We wanted a modern look that better reflected Cascade Regional Blood Services,” said Christine Swinehart, president of the organization that supplies hospitals in Pierce County and the south King County area.
Nearly 60 percent of the blood is donated at community-sponsored blood drives through bloodmobiles.
Fund-raising that began in 2013 helped pay for refurbishing the fleet of bloodmobiles and the purchase of a new vehicle. “We are so grateful to our community for its support,” Swinehart said.

Twenty senior centers and five community non-profit groups received a combined $17,000 from the Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County in donations at the end of 2015 in support of their work with older adults.
“The needs of seniors in our community continue to grow,” said Melissa Martin, president in 2015 of the council (HCPC). “Many older adults live on fixed incomes. Fortunately, we have some wonderful senior centers and community-based organizations who provide much-needed support and help fill needs around the basic necessities of life. We’re honored to be able to help them in their mission.”
Senior centers receiving $750 each were the Beacon, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Eatonville, Fife, Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, Lakewood, Lighthouse, Mid-County, Milton, Orting, Point Defiance/Ruston, Puyallup, South Hill/Salvation Army, Spana-Park, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tillicum/American Lake and University Place. The centers offer meals and nutrition programs; information and assistance; health, fitness and wellness programs; transportation services; social and recreational activities; educational programs and benefits counseling.
Organizations receiving $500 included the FISH Food Banks of Pierce County, the Tacoma Rescue Mission, Honor Flight, TACID (Tacoma Area Coalition for Individual with Disabilities) and the Senior Pet Pantry at the Humane Society for Tacoma-Piece County.
As of mid-2014, the most recent period for which statistics are available from Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 12 percent of the residents of Pierce County were at least 65 years old. Half of all Medicare beneficiaries had incomes below $24,150 in 2014, and 25 percent had incomes below $14,350, according to HCPC.
Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County is a professional membership and non-profit organization that promotes service, care and well-being for older and disabled adults. The membership includes more than 200 individuals who represent businesses and agencies specializing in senior services.

A state legislator from Steilacoom has received the Outstanding Legislator award from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs.
Rep. Dick Muri, whose 28th District constituency includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was honored for his work in the Legislature on behalf of the state’s approximately 700,000 military veterans. He has sponsored “a multitude of resolutions and laws for the benefit of veterans,” said Lourdes Alvarado-Ramos, director of Veterans Affairs.
The agency administers benefits and services to veterans and their families, including healthcare, education and training, mental health counseling and employment services.
“The real recognition should be directed toward our veterans and their families who have made tremendous sacrifices to serve our country in peace and wartime, and all the people that work hard to ensure they get the services they need,” said Muri. “I’m glad to be an ally and a voice for them in the Legislature.”

Just about every minute, a woman dies of heart disease. But the majority of these deaths are avoidable. That’s why Social Security encourages you to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 5, which aims to raise awareness about preventing heart disease and stroke among women.

Social Security plays an important role in many women’s lives — nearly 60 percent of people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Social Security provides important financial assistance to women in times of need, including a sudden illness or an injury leading to disability. While many illnesses and injuries are difficult or impossible to prevent, there are steps that women can take to help prevent some health issues, so that they can live longer and healthier lives.

According to the American Heart Association, “heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing one in three deaths each year.” But the American Heart Association reports that this is 80 percent preventable with education and lifestyle changes. Changes in diet and exercise can help prevent these events, along with obtaining preventative healthcare such as cholesterol checks. You can take part in raising awareness about this women’s health issue by wearing red on February 5 to show your support. You can also learn more about heart disease and stroke prevention by visiting www.goredforwomen.org.

Raising awareness about women’s health issues is important to improving quality of life for all women. Social Security is also committed to addressing the unique concerns that women may face in obtaining Social Security benefits, whether they’re seeking benefits for health or other reasons. Women may face different situations than men throughout their lives that can affect their need for benefits. For instance, women are more likely than men to outlive their spouse. Working women earn less on average than men do. Women are more likely to be stay-at-home parents or spouses. All of these circumstances can cause women to have different Social Security needs than men have.

In order to address these concerns in one place, we have a website designed for women that provides pertinent information to women regarding Social Security’s services. This website includes information that may be particularly useful to working women, women who receive Social Security benefits, brides, new mothers, wives, divorced women, caregivers, and widows. Our website for women provides information on retirement, survivors, disability, and Supplemental Security Income benefits. Our website also contains links to Social Security publications relevant to women’s issues, such as our publications What Every Woman Should Know and Understanding the Benefits. You can visit our website for women at www.socialsecurity.gov/people/women.

We hope that raising awareness on women’s health issues and providing women easy access to information about Social Security benefits can enrich your life and the lives of those you love.

Kirk Larson , who wrote this article, is a Social Security public affairs specialist for Washington.