Honoring veterans and more

Senior news from November 18 to 24

Posted 11/18/21

Town of Thompson presents check to Monti seniors

MONTICELLO, NY — The Town of Thompson presented a check for $5,000 to the Monticello Seniors at their meeting on October 28.

“This …

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Honoring veterans and more

Senior news from November 18 to 24

Posted

Town of Thompson presents check to Monti seniors

MONTICELLO, NY — The Town of Thompson presented a check for $5,000 to the Monticello Seniors at their meeting on October 28.

“This check represents a one thousand dollar increase in the annual stipend,” said town supervisor Bill Rieber.

The Monticello Seniors has more than 65 members.

Thanksgiving lunch will honor veterans

MATAMORAS, PA — The Pike County Area Agency on Aging is celebrating its 22nd annual Red, White and Blue Thanksgiving Luncheon at the Matamoras Fire House on Friday, November 19. The event begins at 10 a.m. and lunch starts at 11:30 a.m.

There will be turkey, stuffing, cranberries and more.

Entertainment is provided by Ron Richardson.

The cost is $3.

Reservations are required. Masks are required if you aren’t vaccinated.

For more information or to reserve a space, contact the Pike County Area Agency on Aging at 570/775-5550.

Medicare open enrollment over soon

REGION — December 7 is the last day to enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

What are your needs? What medications do you take?

Review your current coverage and think about any changes to your costs or benefits. Does your current coverage meet your needs?

If you like your current coverage, and it’s still available for 2022, you don’t need to take any action to keep it. But if you want to change, your 2022 “Medicare and You” handbook has information about plans in your area. And help is out there. For more information, call one of the following numbers.

Pennsylvania:

In Pike County, contact Diakon Community Services at 570/775-5550.

In Wayne County, contact the Area Agency on Aging at 570/253-4262.

New York

In Sullivan County, contact NY Connects at 845/807-0257 or 800/342-9871.

Support for caregivers at Wayne Aging

HONESDALE, PA — The Caregivers Support Group, sponsored by the Wayne County Area Agency on Aging, meets from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the Earl J. Simons Senior Center at 323 Tenth St. in Honesdale.

The group is coordinated by volunteer facilitators, who organize and lead the discussions. The group is a place to share experiences, ideas, situations, solutions and frustrations, a spokesperson said.

There are no requirements to join; simply show up. Past, present and future caregivers are welcome.

For more information, contact the Wayne County Area Agency on Aging at 570/253-4262.

  

Retiring Wayne Memorial CEO David Hoff.
Retiring Wayne Memorial CEO David Hoff.
    

Wayne Memorial CEO wins award for dedication, success

HONESDALE, PA — David Hoff is retiring at the end of the year and a state agency is already recognizing his accomplishments.

The head of the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH) will present Hoff, the CEO of Wayne Memorial Hospital & Health System, with its Community Rural Health Leader of the Year 2021 award at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 18, National Rural Health Day.  

“You were recognized for your dynamic leadership at Wayne Memorial and your devotion to the health of the community served,” said Lisa Davis, executive director of PORH.

Since Hoff’s arrival in 2001, Wayne Memorial, which serves four counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, has grown significantly. Accomplishments during his administration include the construction of a new emergency room, a helipad and a patient tower with private rooms. The hospital also launched a cardiac catheterization laboratory, the Heart & Vascular Center and achieved new care levels as a Level IV Trauma Center and a Certified Primary Stroke Center.

In 2007, the hospital’s physician services earned a new designation as a federally qualified health center; it became the independent affiliate, Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC). Today, WMCHC employs more than 300 people and has close to 20 primary care and specialty provider sites.

When the COVID pandemic hit, Hoff and his team pivoted quickly and restructured a patient care unit to successfully isolate and treat COVID patients.

According to a statement, the Community Rural Health Leader of the Year Award “recognizes an outstanding leader who organized, led, developed or expanded an exemplary multi-dimensional rural community health program or initiative and who has demonstrated leadership to a rural community health program.”

“Hoff committed Wayne Memorial to adapting to local health care needs and based decisions on survey data,” said Kim Rickard of Wayne Tomorrow!, who nominated him for the award. “Hoff understands the crucial role of the in Wayne County as an asset for health, economic, and community development.”

Celebrating the hard and necessary work of family caregivers

MILFORD, PA ― Family caregivers provide quality—and often unpaid—care for loved ones. November is National Family Caregivers Month, which gives everyone else a chance to thank them.

Across Pennsylvania, according to the PA Homecare Association, more than 1.6 million Pennsylvania residents are caring for older parents, spouses, or other loved ones. That work means those patients are able to live independently.

Free education, peer support, and resources for family caregivers are available through the Caregiver Action Network, a non-profit organization that promotes the National Family Caregivers Month.

In addition, the Pike County Area Agency on Aging (PCAAA) is promoting the Senior CHAT program, Friendly Calling, which is a free service through which older adults are connected with volunteers to talk by phone on a regular basis. Privacy of a senior’s phone number is maintained.

Both volunteers and participants are needed for the program, which builds friendships and meaningful connections.

The PCAAA website also features helpful resources to support caregivers. Visit https://www.pikepa.org/aaa or call 570/775-5550.

To learn more about the Caregiver Action Network, visit https://www.caregiveraction.org.

For more information on the Senior CHAT program, email Dawn Houghtaling at houghtalingd@diakon.org or call 570/390-4540.

Honoring veterans, celebrating America in Hawley

HAWLEY, PA — Veterans’ advocacy organization VetStock honored veterans on November 5 at Woodloch Springs in Hawley.

John Pillar, golf director for Woodloch Resorts, was recognized that evening. VetStock co-founder Tom Ryan presented him with a custom, limited edition, Folds of Honor 1911 auto-ordnance .45 caliber handgun “in appreciation for all that he does for veterans, their families and his support of VetStock,” he said.

State Rep. Rosemary Brown spoke about the need to stand together for the good of all veterans. “The need for not-for-profit organizations like VetStock is huge and we must support them. Our veterans need us as much as we needed them when they were active and serving our country.”

“VetStock will continue its mission to make a difference in veterans’ and their families’ lives that have sacrificed so much,” said Ryan.

For more information about VetStock visit its  Facebook page, VetStockAmerica or its website, https://www.VetStockAmerica.com.

Thanking veterans with handmade cards

LIBERTY – The students at the Rubin Pollack Education Center created more than 30 handmade greeting cards with messages of thanks and appreciation for local veterans. The cards were distributed across Sullivan County in time for Veterans Day.

The staff and students of Sullivan BOCES will also be honoring Sullivan County’s veterans with a complimentary brunch on December 2 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

For more information about the brunch, please visit https://www.scboces.org.

Thompson, Monticello Seniors, Pike County Area Agency on Aging, Medicare Advantage, Caregivers Support Group, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, Wayne Memorial Hospital, National Family caregivers Month, VetStock, Sullivan BOCES, Rubin Pollack Education Center, veterans

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