Q: I am responsible for raising my two grandchildren. I have questions that are very different from the usual ones seniors have. I am looking for a network to provide answers I can’t seem to get. Can you provide a contact? A: Your situation is not unusual. Recent statistics show many seniors are finding themselves in the position of raising young children. I have an excellent contact. Senior Concerns is partnering with Kids and Families Together to address this subject and provide a support network for seniors raising children. The first meeting of the partnership will be from 7-8 p.m. Oct. 28 at Senior Concerns Day Care Center, 401 Hodencamp Road in Thousand Oaks. Call 497-0189 for information and to make reservations. Child care can be provided if advance reservations are made. Visit http://www.kidsandfamilies.org to learn more about Kids and Families Together. Q: In the past, you have published the telephone number for the Eldercare Locator. Would you please do so again? A: The Eldercare Locator is a nationwide directory assistance service that helps seniors and their caregivers find local support resources. The service links the caller with the information and referral networks of state and local Area Agencies on Aging. You can get information on services such as meals, home care, transportation, housing, home repair, recreation, social activities and legal aid. The locator can provide organization names and telephone numbers so you may contact service providers directly. The Eldercare Locator is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time Monday through Friday. The toll-free number is 800-677-1116. Be prepared to provide the county and city name or ZIP code for the senior you are assisting and a brief description of the problem you are trying to solve. ONE-STOP SHOPS Counselors from the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program will answer questions about health care coverage in 2014. Topics will include Medicare changes, Part D prescription drug changes, Senior Advantage plans, information to help new-to-Medicare enrollees and Covered California. Call 477-7310 for information. Times and locations: Wednesday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Area Agency on Aging, Ventura. Thursday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Camarillo Health Care District. Thursday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Simi Valley Senior Center. Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Goebel Adult Community Adult Center, Thousand Oaks. Oct. 23 and 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Area Agency on Aging, Ventura. Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Goebel Adult Community Center, Thousand Oaks. Oct. 25: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wilson Senior Center, Oxnard. Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ojai Little House, Ojai. Oct. 30 and 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Area Agency on Aging, Ventura. OTHER HAPPENINGS Thursday: “How to have the TALK with Aging Parents” seminar, 4-6:30 p.m., Senior Concerns Day Care Center, 401 Hodencamp Road, Thousand Oaks. Call 497-0189 for information and reservations. Saturday and Oct. 26: AARP driver safety course, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation, eighth floor. Reservations are required. Call 652-5385. Monday: “Healthy Festive Foods for Two” seminar, 9-10:30 a.m., at Goebel Adult Community Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. Call 381-7362 for reservations. Oct. 22: “Senior Living Options” seminar, 10 a.m., Pleasant Valley Senior Center, 1605 E. Burnley St., Camarillo. Call 482-4881 for information. Oct. 23: “Social Security and Medicare 2014 — What’s New?” seminar, 7-8:30 p.m., Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, 588 Camino Manzanas, Thousand Oaks. Call 498-4502 for reservations. Betty Berry is a senior advocate for Senior Concerns. The advocates are at the Goebel Adult Community Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362, or call 495-6250 or email betty@seniorconcerns.org . Please include your telephone number. More …
