The Senior Scene

If you haven’t voted yet in the general election, here’s how to do it in time so your voice is heard:

1. Vote by mail. Your ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 2.
2. Return your ballot at official drop boxes, open until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Note: There is no postage required to use the drop boxes. Questions? Depending on where you live, contact your Pierce, King or Kitsap county auditor/elections department.

“Options for the Future: Living Choices for Older Adults and People with Disabilities” is the title of a free, information-only presentation on services and resources in Pierce County to help families cope with health emergencies.
The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Lakewood branch of Pierce County Library System, located at 6300 Wildaire Road SW. in Lakewood, and is jointly sponsored by Pierce County Community Connections Aging and Disability Resources and the Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County.
Topics will include in-home care, geriatric care management, elder law, adult family homes, assisted living, skilled-nursing homes, memory care, Medicare, Medicaid and community resources. The audience will have a chance to ask questions of local long-term care professionals and get personalized information.
“Be prepared is much more than a Boy Scout motto,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources. “But it is so very true. It is absolutely amazing how people handle emergencies in their life when they have good, basic information. Decisions are more clear-headed and outcomes are much more positive. We can’t stress enough the benefits of knowing about options and taking advantage of the right ones.”
“Options for the Future: Living Choices for Older Adults and People with Disabilities” is the title of a free, information-only presentation on services and resources in Pierce County to help families cope with health emergencies.
The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Lakewood branch of Pierce County Library System, located at 6300 Wildaire Road SW. in Lakewood, and is jointly sponsored by Pierce County Community Connections Aging and Disability Resources and the Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County.
Topics will include in-home care, geriatric care management, elder law, adult family homes, assisted living, skilled-nursing homes, memory care, Medicare, Medicaid and community resources. The audience will have a chance to ask questions of local long-term care professionals and get personalized information.
“Be prepared is much more than a Boy Scout motto,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources. “But it is so very true. It is absolutely amazing how people handle emergencies in their life when they have good, basic information. Decisions are more clear-headed and outcomes are much more positive. We can’t stress enough the benefits of knowing about options and taking advantage of the right ones.”
Additional information is available from Aging and Disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600.

Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) has established a crowdfunding campaign through We Raise Wheatridge to raise a minimum of $6,000 by Nov. 1 in order to establish three memory cafes, especially in rural areas of Pierce County.
Nearly every family has been impacted by the rise in the number of persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Memory Cafes are monthly gatherings for individuals with memory loss and their care partners in a safe and supportive public environment. By participating in Memory Cafes, persons with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are no longer confined to their home, LCSNW officials explained.
Anyone interested in making a pledge through the “No Longer Invisible: Memory Cafes for Pierce County” campaign can go to the web page for the project at https://weraise.wheatridge.org/en/projects/23985-No-Longer-Invisible—Memory-Cafes-for-Pierce-County, clicking on the green “Contribute” button, and following the directions.
Research from the Alzheimer’s Association shows that socialization, intellectual and physical activity have a major impact on the severity and progression of dementia. And just as important, LCSNW points out, socialization opportunities in the public arena go a long way toward reducing the stigma associated with dementia. Memory cafes in other areas have been shown to build awareness in the general public and create community among dementia sufferers and their care partners while reducing stress through camaraderie.
While memory cafes exist and have experienced much success in King County, there are none in Pierce County. Currently, the only socialization activity in Pierce is the Early Stage Memory Loss Zoo Walk, coordinated by LCSNW in collaboration with the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and utilizing volunteers from local churches. LCSNW’s program assistant for caregiver services, Linda McCone, who coordinates the Zoo Walk program and also runs an Alzheimer’s caregiver support group, said it’s clear “in my support group and with those who attend the Zoo Walk that care partners and those with dementia are all hungry for more social activities and social interaction. It is also clear that care partners and those with memory loss need to have something they can do together, in or near their own neighborhood.”
LCSNW’s goal is to launch memory cafes in Pierce County with three initial sites and to collaborate with other agencies and area churches to ensure success of the project once it is funded.

The Lutheran Church of St Paul and Preschool in Graham will host a workshop for older adults on health and money-related issues.
“Being Prepared: Finances and Health” is scheduled for Oct. 31 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a light lunch at no cost.
Pastor Matthew Warmbier of St. Paul said the congregation hopes that the several thousand older adults in the Graham, Kapowsin and Bethel areas “will find the series of workshops we plan to host this fall and in 2016 to be full of helpful information.”
The first workshop will include financial planning tips from Joe Newman, who is a Thrivent financial planner, and advice on thinking ahead about health crises from chaplain Dorothy Probynski, director of pastoral and spiritual care for MultiCare.
More information is available from the church at 253-847-3084 and lcspgraham.org.