may/june 2020 the link your aging and disability resource ... · may/june 2020 the link page 5 2035...

LINKTHEMAY/JUNE 2020

Your Aging and Disability Resource Connection

Visit us at Legacylink.orggeorgiaadrc.com

Senior Day at the Capitol

Over 50 Seniors traveled to the Capitol for Senior Day on Feb 12. Seniors from Forsyth,

Towns and Hall County all traveled to the Capitol on the Double Decker Megabus. A big thank you to Megabus.com that donated the transportation for the 8th year in a row. The luxury bus allowed seniors to make the trip without a charge for transportation.

CoAge provided a high rise view of Atlanta with a free lunch as our seniors listened to Senators and Representatives speak about the issues during this legislative session. Continued on page 4.

Currently Legacy Link offices are closed to outside visitors. You can still reach us by phone to access services at 770-538-2650.

In this issue:

Towns County Senior Center NewsPage 2 & 4

Handwashing Techiques from the CDCPage 3

Healthy Aging ExpoPage 5

RSVP Volunteer ProgramPage 6

Habersham Senior Center adjusts toget food to Seniors during the PandemicPage 7

LINKTHE MAY/JUNE 2020PAgE 2

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Published by Legacy Link Editor Don Colombero

Contributing EditorsDottie SuchkeLisa Howard

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Legacy LinkP. O. Box 1480

Oakwood, ga. 30566

Towns County Senior Center delivers meals to senior celebrating

her 104th birthday

Legacy Link is a part of the AmazonSmile Program. When you order anything from Amazon instead of going to Amazon.com go to smile.amazon.com. You will be able to select Legacy Link as the organization of choice and they will donate a percentage of your order to us. You will receive the same price for your purchase just as if you had used the regular Amazon site. Tell your family and friends about this new way to help Legacy Link for items that you buy for business or home.

Towns County Staff and two Meals On Wheels Volunteers Joe and Margot delivered hot and frozen meals to 80 seniors on Monday April 20, 2020 and Senior Center staff delivered hot meals to 65 seniors on Tuesday April 21, 2020 with a Special Delivery to Orene Adams who not only received a hot meal but a bouquet of flowers and many Happy Birthday wishes. Orene Adams was born April 21, 1916 and celebrated her 104 th birthday on April 21, 2020. Orene Adams and family moved to Towns County in 1959. Her husband Mr. Oscar Adams was Principal of Towns County High School from 1959- 1965. Orene is surrounded by her family and caregivers 24/7. Staff was un-able to go inside and visit Orene because of our protocol due to the COVID-19 virus. However staff and our Meals On Wheels Volunteers have enjoyed visiting with Orene over the past years; she was always sitting in her sun room and made each of us feel welcome and we all loved just to sit and visit with her. Sharp Me-morial United Methodist Church Sunday School class rotates vol-unteers for the Bell Creek Route every Monday and Tuesday were Orene Adams lives. Other vol-unteers on the Bell Creek Route include Marylou on Wednesday, Beverly and Russell on Thursday and Kay and Neal on Friday, Orene is always a pleasure to visit with and she always shares her kindness. Our volunteers always come thru the door with a smile but always return with a blessing and even a bigger smile inside their hearts.

Senior Center Director Vic Stephens-Berrong stated it was an honor and blessing to provide all seniors a hot and/or frozen meals not only during this pan-demic but throughout the year five days a week. Center Direc-tor stated she had even a higher appreciation of all the Meals On Wheels volunteers; because with-out them the delivery of meals

would not be possible. We have 6 Meals On Wheels volunteers still helping thru this pandemic, Joe, Margot, Marylou, Angela, Suzy and Doug. A Special “Thank you” to each of you and all of our MOW volunteers. We look forward to having all of our Meals On Wheels volunteers re-turning after the pandemic. Take care and be safe and stay healthy.

Pictured above is staff JR Blankenship delivering hot meal and flowers.

LINKTHE PAgE 3MAY/JUNE 2020

Towns County Senior Center delivers meals to senior celebrating

her 104th birthday

Call our Resource Data Specialist at

678-677-8441

Looking for resources in your area ?

Our ADRC specialists provide access to information, assistance and referral concerning

services for seniors, family members and persons with disabilities.

We currently have over 1800 resources in our 13 county georgia Mountains Area.

It’s always a good idea to practice proper handwashing technique, and most of us know we should do it. Handwashing lowers the risk of many types of disease. But with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) out-break, there’s new emphasis on this very important way to stop the spread of the disease, which is especially dangerous for older adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges us to wash our hands at the right time.

• Before, during, and after preparing food• Before eating food• Before and after caring for someone who is sick• Before and after treating a cut or wound• After using the toilet• After changing diapers or cleaning up a person who has used

the toilet• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste• After handling pet food or pet treats• After touching garbage

And in the right way:• Wet your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap,

and apply soap.• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be

sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.Dry your hands using a clean towel, or air dry them. It’s also a

good idea to use your paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door.

If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (check the label). Here’s how:• Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label

to learn the correct amount).• Rub your hands together.• Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until

your hands are dry. As with washing with soap and water, this should take around 20 seconds.Washing our hands protects not only ourselves, but also others. It only takes about half a minute to kill a bunch of germs. That’s handwashing power!

Need more information? The CDC has an entire section on hand-washing technique. Check it out at www.cdc.gov/handwashing.

Source: IlluminAge AgeWise reporting on materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How’s Your Handwashing Technique?

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Continued from page 1

Legacy Link participated in the Symposium on Disrupting Aging that was held at the University of North Georgia (UNG) Gainesville Campus on March 6 and 7th. The event brought community, professionals, and licensed health care workers together to explore and embrace the third stage of life.

Symposium On Disrupting Aging

MRACG Extends Towns County Senior Center Art classes. The Mountain Regional Arts & Crafts Guild has announced they will extend their weekly arts and crafts classes held at the Towns County Senior Center through the month of April. The MRACG has been providing art and craft lessons every Monday beginning in January 2020 at the Towns County Senior Center. MRACG is able to support these classes through a grant for the Georgia Council for the Arts Vibrant Communities Grant (GCA). The GCA goals include a strong support and connection between art-ist and our community.

Towns County Senior Center holds arts and crafts classes

The Towns County Seniors have enjoyed their hidden talents, creating beautiful pictures and flowers with the guidance of the talented artist.

Senior Day at the Capital

Kathy Floyd giving updates on legislative bills to our seniors.

Seniors boarding the Megabus for trip to Ikea.

Lunch was provided by CoAge in the ballroom of the Sloppy Floyd building.



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Legacy Link participated at the Healthy Aging Expo on Feb 26. Over 300 seniors attended the event that was held at the Venue in Flowery Branch.

Healthy Aging Expo

On Februrary 28th Legacy Link attended the Living and Loving Well program sponsored by Northeast Georgia Health System. The author of Driving Miss Norma, Raime Liddle talked about her traveling across the country in a motorhome checking off Norma’s bucket list. Seniors in attendance enjoyed the presentation as well as the drawings for gift cards.

Driving Miss Norma

The Healthy Aging Expo was sponsored by The Gainesville Times newspaper. The Expo is held in the spring and the fall each year.


RSVP Volunteer ViewRetired & Senior Volunteer Program

Legacy Link Receives New RSVP Senior Corps Grant

Legacy Link has been awarded a new cycle of RSVP grant fund-ing following a national Senior Corps grant competition to increase the impact of national service in specific geographic areas. This award will support at least 275 Senior Corps RSVP volunteers serving in 10 coun-ties across north Georgia. The new grant award will continue Legacy Link’s long tenure as a sponsoring agency for this na-tional program which is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering

and service.Senior Corps volunteers in

North Georgia provide certified Medicare Counseling, deliver Meals on Wheels lunches, pro-vide caregiver respite, present di-saster preparation outreach, and assist at senior Centers across the area.

Senior Corps engages ap-proximately 200,000 Americans at more than 20,000 locations across the nation through its Fos-ter Grandparent, Senior Com-panion, and RSVP programs. Established in 1971, RSVP engages Americans age 55 and

older in citizen service that ad-dresses the nation’s challenges including assisting seniors to age independently and with dignity. While serving, Senior Corps vol-unteers also improve their own lives, staying active and healthy through service. A growing body of research points to mental and physical health benefits associ-ated with volunteering, including lower mortality rates, increased strength and energy, decreased rates of depression, and fewer physical limitations. Findings from a recent CNCS study show that Senior Corps volunteers serving with the Foster Grand-parent and Senior Companion programs report feeling sig-

nificantly less depressed and isolated, along with higher health scores.

Georgia Mountains RSVP at Legacy Link is currently looking for volunteers to assist with the GeorgiaCares Medicare program as outreach presenters or coun-selors and deliver meals in most counties.

Those interested in volunteer-ing through RSVP can contact the program at Legacy Link by email [email protected] or phone 770-535-2650. Those wishing to deliver Meals on Wheels can also contact your lo-cal Senior Center for specific in-formation on available times and openings for volunteers.

The GeorgiaCares Medicare program at Legacy Link hosted an appreciation lunch in Febru-ary to thank their RSVP volun-teers for their hard work all year long. We are especially thankful for their dedication during the super busy open enrollment period when they are deluged with requests to assist Medicare beneficiaries with information about their personal options for supplemental and drug plans. Certified counselors have un-dergone intensive training and

testing to meet federal require-ments to be GeorgiaCares Medi-care Counselors. We also have devoted volunteers performing outreach to beneficiaries across the north Georgia service area and the important, detailed data entry which keeps the depart-ment organized. The volunteers were thanked with Certificates of Service, Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, and volunteer gifts. We all appreciate their hard work!

GeorgiaCares RSVP Volunteers (L to R back) George Jacobs, Brad Belden, Shirley Boyle, (front) Moira Todd, Bobbylea Pennington, Cornelia Martin, Bobbie Cox, Judy Walsh, Barbara Brown

Volunteer Appreciation


The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented changes to our daily activities and work environment—the senior centers are no exception. Habersham County Senior Center was tem-porarily closed on March 16 to help reduce the spread of the Cornavirus to the world’s most vulnerable residents, the elderly. Kathy Holcomb, Director, and her team had to quickly adapt to meet the needs of clients who regularly come into the center for their hot meal. The team quickly identified clients who don’t have transportation or have little or no family assistance. The team implemented a plan to deliver hot meals to those clients and have been delivering over 40 hot meals, 5 days a week since week 2 of the closing.

The Habersham Meals On Wheels program has been ex-tremely fortunate that volunteers have been diligently working to fulfill their commitment to the program and there has been no interruption to this program.

In addition to hot meals, the team has partnered with The Torch Food Ministry; the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and

Habersham Senior Center adjusts toget food to Seniors during the Pandemic

Sylvia Woodall shows how some clients are helping with the social distancing during meal deliveries. Meals are placed in a small cooler outside her door; the volunteer knocks & then steps 6 feet or more away so the client can safely retrieve their meals & limit contact.

Jennifer Eller, a volunteer with The Torch Food Ministry delivers food boxes to one of the many clients of the Habersham County Senior Center.

Mason Hall, Wellness Coordinator, shows the mask donated to the staff by Marina Crisler. Marina has been making N95 quality masks for several weeks & donating them to essential workers and those on the frontline.

Week one of the temporary closing, staff from the center partnered with the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia & made bags on commodities which were delivered to client’s homes. L/R Mason Hall, Kathy Holcomb & Janna Manning

Volunteer Leon Ellenburg, fills gallon-size bags with cat & dog food for distribution to home bound clients with pets.

individual donors to provide food boxes filled with canned goods, frozen meats, fresh fruits & vegetables, dairy products and paper goods, which have been delivered to more than 100 indi-viduals over the past 2 months. The center has secured a pet food source and have been giving home bound clients gallon-size bags of pet food to help ease the burden of pet owners.

Transit staff has continued to provide transportation to any client who wants to go grocery shopping, handle bill pay & banking needs, and those with local doctor appointments. Cli-ents are taken 1 – 2 at a time, keeping them separated by 6 feet or more of distance and everyone is encouraged to wear a mask when going into a public facility.

Holcomb states, “we want to

express our heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers who have con-tinued to be a part of our MOW program; the private donations that have helped us fill so many needs; and to the senior center program coordinators, kitchen

staff and transit personnel for their dedication to their jobs.” The senior center is hoping to reopen in May and continue the activities and wellness programs that the clients have come to en-joy and depend on.

LEgACY LINKArea Agency on Aging

4080 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, Ga 30566

NON PROfIT ORg.U.S. POSTAgE PAIDgAINESVILLE, gAPERMIT NO. 82

Resource GuideHome Based ServicesIntake to Aging Services: Legacy Link’s toll free number (855-266-4283) accesses the Intake to Aging Services. Trained ADRC specialists provide confidential access to information, assistance and referral concerning services for seniors, family members and persons with disabilities. Callers are assisted in locating resources and services in the regions, in georgia and across the United States.

Case Management: (CCSP & SOURCE) Providing Assistance to Individuals with medical needs who meet criteria for program eligibility to live safely in their home. Services can include: bathing, personal care, meals, housekeeping, laundry, errands, emergency response systems, in-home respite, out of home respite, adult day health and assisted living. Legacy Link provides Case Management in 35 north georgia counties. Call 678-252-3000.Alzheimer’s Care Consultation Program: A free, telephone-based information and support service for adults with memory impairment, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, and friends or family who care for them. Care Consulta-tion provides, particularly to caregivers, ongoing help to find practical solutions to concerns about health and care as well as coaching and support. Clients do not have to be enrolled in any other Legacy Link program to be eligible to participate in Care Consultations. (855-266-4283).

Employment and EducationEmployment and Training for Mature Workers (SCSEP): Persons aged 55+ on the Senior Community Service and Employment Program are placed in part-time positions in public and non-profit agencies for training to enable them to enter the workforce. funded by the National Council, assistance is provided to residents of 120 georgia counties. (770-538-2650)

Legal and AdvocacyLong-Term Care Ombudsman: Ombudsman staff provides advocacy services to nursing home and personal care home residents and family members in 29 coun-ties. (770-538-2685). Georgia Legal Services: for assistance and counsel-ing for persons aged 60 and above. (770-535-5717).

Community Based ServicesWellness Programs: Addresses social, emotional, physical, mental, and intellec-tual well-being of adults 60 years or older, including but not limited to: nutrition and health education, fitness and physical activity, health screenings, art classes, computer classes, and other educational opportunities. for more information about what is available in your area, contact your local senior centers. (770-538-2650)Kinship Care Program: This program provides information and referrals re-garding benefits available for children being raised by Grandparents, Aunts, or Uncles. Kinship Care Support groups for persons who are “parenting the second time around” are available in the 13 counties of North georgia. (770-538-2650)Retired and Senior Volunteer Program: RSVP, a national Senior Corps program, matches adults age 55+ with volunteer service opportunities at public and non-profit agencies in 10 counties. Funding is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency. 770-538-2650 www.nationalservice.gov

Assistive Technology (AT): is an item or a piece of equipment that is used to increase, maintain, or improve an individuals functional capabilities. Come visit Legacy Link’s Assistive Technology Lab to experience AT yourself! We have over 75 items on display. The AT Lab is open to the public by appointment only. Please call at 770-538-2641 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Medicare CounselingGeorgia Cares Program: Medicare Counseling - Staff and trained volun-teers make presentations to groups and counsel individual beneficiaries and assist in enrollment in all Medicare Programs. Eligibility screenings and assistance are provided for those qualifying for help paying Medicare and other health benefit programs. (770-538-2650)

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