The Watertown Senior Center has plenty of activities in July, including an exotic flower demonstration, a trip to Maine and information about working with a case worker.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Senior Center:
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE: BRIEF HISTORY OF THE U.S. POSTAL SYSTEM
Henry Lukas, Education Director, Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History, will discuss the history of the U.S. Postal system by viewing stamps issued over the years. Hear the many ways mail has been delivered and the unusual items transported, including baby chicks, the Hope Diamond, and a little girl who mailed herself to her grandmother. Learn about very rare stamps, stamps that have caused controversies and stamps with unusual topics. Find out what stamps are being issued this year and the Post Office’s rules for deciding who or what goes on a stamp. WHEN: Wednesday, July 17 TIME: 10:00 A.M. Pre-registration is required.
EXOTIC FLOWERS WITH ERNIE
Join us for a morning of fun! Ernie is back with a wonderful idea for us for our July class. We will be putting together a beautiful bouquet of Exotic Flowers! WHEN: July 18 TIME: 10:00 AM Pre-registration required.
COST: $15.00.This program is funded in part by the Friends of the Watertown Council on Aging.
TUESDAY EVENING FUN AND GAMES WITH PEARL PRESSMAN
Would you recognize the Campbell soup commercial jingle, remember Katharine Hepburn starred in the African Queen? Come enjoy a light supper, time with new and old friends, and playing games. The group has a lot of fun! WHEN: Tuesday, July 9 & 23 TIME: 4:30 Sign up is required to ensure enough food for all.
The cost is $3.00. Come down—don’t miss the fun!
DIALOGUE WITH THE DIRECTOR — Join Anne-Marie Gagnon, Director of the Watertown Senior Center, for coffee and conversation. Thursday, July 11 at 9:00 A.M.
FOX TOURS TRIPS – Please make checks payable to: “Fox Tours”.
July 8th Casablanca By The Sea, Portland, Maine. Our first stop is the Bull & Claw Restaurant close by the salt marsh in Wells. Your choices for lunch are Stuffed Haddock, Chicken Parmigiana, or Shrimp & Mussel Scampi. Next we have a 90 minute cruise of Portland Harbor, along with lighthouses, Civil War Forts, and fishing boats. Time: 8:30—6:30 Cost: $89.00
August 8th Mamma Mia! Join us for a fantastic day starting with a full luncheon of Roast Turkey, Sirloin of Beef, or Baked Haddock at the Hart’s Turkey Farm. Next it’s on to the Lakes Region Summer Theatre for the zany story of a mother planning her daughter’s wedding while her daughter has plans of her own. The show will make you laugh and sing. Time: 9:00—7:30 Cost: $89.00
In regards to refunds—trip insurance is available at sign up for $10.00.
Public Safety Mornings
Tuesday, July 9 & 23 Coffee with Chief Lawn & Captain Dupuis
Thursday, July 25 Hot Coffee! with Fire Captain William (Billy) Maietta Let’s make it a FIRE SAFE SUMMER!
CASE WORKER CORNER WITH MARINA KIRSANOVA, LSW
What are the services the Case Worker can provide? I serve as an information and referral hub at the Senior Center. Very often, seniors and their families are not aware of the benefits that are available to their loved ones. My role is to inform my clients about the benefits they might be eligible for and to facilitate the process of application and, if necessary, enrollment. I provide consultations at the office, and I visit clients at home. I often get calls from clients who are going through hard times. An essential aspect of my work as a licensed social worker is to make my clients feel heard, appreciated and supported emotionally.
Where can we get senior services for me and my elder relative(s)? There are two options that I offer my clients to consider. The first one is to start with Springwell, the Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) for our town. Springwell is a state and federal subsidized non-profit agency that provides senior services such as cleaning, home delivered meals, personal care, and other in-home assistance. Springwell offers affordable services to clients with lower incomes. The second option is to hire a private agency. I provide a short orientation into Springwell’s enrollment and eligibility determination process and discuss the pros and cons of Springwell vs. private support agencies.
I received an eviction letter. Can you help me to find a place to live that I can afford? Housing is one of the most deeply concerning issues in my work. I am getting many calls from seniors who need to move out because their landlord decided to sell the property or because my clients couldn’t afford to pay the rent. My role is to lay out all the options available and to make sure I provide all the necessary information and resources they need for the transition. One of the long-term strategies I recommend is to apply for private or town subsidized housing as soon as you can. Currently, the waiting list time is up to six years for Watertown residents and at least ten years for the non-residents.
I suspect that my next door neighbor can’t take care of him/herself anymore. What do I do? Sometimes we get calls from community members concerned with a senior’s well-being. Please call us if the senior you are worried about exhibits signs of abuse or self-neglect. Those signs can be severe depression, malnutrition, declining self-care, unsafe driving, acting disoriented and confused, exhibiting bruises, commenting about frequent falls, or financial exploitation. You can also report your concerns directly to the Elder Abuse and Self-Neglect 24/7 Hotline at (800) 922-2275.
WHAT IF MY MEDICARE PLAN WON’T COVER A DRUG I NEED?
If your Medicare plan won’t cover a drug or the co-pay is high, you have options. You can ask your doctor whether there are generic, over-the-counter, or less expensive brand-name drugs that could work as well as the ones you’re taking now. You can see if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to change to a different plan. You can also request a coverage determination called an “exception” if:
1. You think your plan should cover a drug that’s not on its formulary because the other treatment options on your plan’s formulary won’t work for you.
2. You believe your plan’s coverage rules, like prior authorization, should be waived.
3. You think your plan should charge a lower amount for a drug you’re taking on the plan’s non-preferred drug tier because you can’t take any of the other lower cost drugs for the same condition.
If you request an exception, your doctor will need to give a supporting statement to your plan explaining why you need the drug you’re requesting.
Call the Senior Center at 617-972-6490 to set up an appointment, or if you still need assistance in reviewing your coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). You can also compare plans online at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan.
PROPERTY TAX WORK-OFF PROGRAM – Senior Homeowners—Earn up to $1,500!
This program allows for up to ten seniors (age 60 and older) a $1,500 deduction from their property tax bill in exchange for 125 hours of work for a Town department, from July 1, 2019 until March 1, 2020.
Applications are available at the Senior Center or by calling (617) 972-6490. Program begins July 1 for work in a Town Department through March 1, 2020.
LEGAL APPOINTMENTS
Metro West Legal Services will be here on the third TUESDAY of each month by appointment. This month’s date is July 16th. Please call the Senior Center at 617-972-6490 for an appointment.
Watertown Food Pantry 80 Mount Auburn Street—Rear. OPEN: Tuesdays 10-11:30 AM Thursdays 4-6:00 PM
FOOD PANTRY REQUESTS – Canned Soup, Pasta Sauce, Pasta, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Cold Cereal, Canned Vegetables, Tuna Fish, Chick Peas, and Cooking Oil.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
July 3: Ask the Nurse & Blood Pressure Screening at 10:00 by Watertown Health Dept. Nurse, Wil VanDinter. He is also available to answer your health care questions. Stop by and say Hi. Free.
July 25: Podiatry Clinic at 11:00 AM. Toenails, corns, caluses only. The cost for this service is $25.00 payable to Dr. Alper. Insurance is not accepted.
July 25: Blood Pressure Screening at 10:00 by Linda Micklay, R.N. from CareGroup Home Care. Free.
JULY MOVIE MATINEE
7/11 The Mule: Earl, a broke man in his 80’s, is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does so well that his cargo increases and he is assigned a handler. He isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; he also hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. As his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him. Cast: Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne 2018 R 116 mins.
7/18 A Simple Favor: Single mom Stephanie finds her small-town life upended when best friend Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school — and promptly vanishes. Bent on solving the mystery, Stephanie joins forces with Emily’s husband. Cast: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding 2018 R 117 mins.
7/25 Green Book: When Tony Lip, a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on “The Green Book” to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans. Confronted with racism, danger as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime. Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini 2018 PG-13 130 mins.
8/1 Back To Burgundy: Anticipating their father’s imminent death, three siblings reunite at their home in Burgundy to preserve the vineyard that ties them together in this tender and modern tale of familial strife and resilience from director Cédric Klapisch. Cast: Pio Marmai, Ana Girardo, Francois Civil 2018 NR 113 mins.
IMPORTANT REMINDER! Please remember to use your My Senior Center key tag and check-in at the kiosk when you enter the building. Your record of attendance helps us to manage our programs and space effectively. If you don’t have a key tag, please ask at the Front Desk to register. It’s free! Thank you!
SENIOR NEWSLETTER DELIVERED TO YOUR EMAIL!
Have the Watertown Senior News emailed to your home computer every month by going to the Town website: www.watertown-ma.govand signing up on the ‘Notify Me’ list. Follow the link on the left side of the home page, scroll down to Watertown Senior News and check it off! Or call the Senior Center at 617-972-6490 with your email address & we’ll add it for you! The Watertown Senior News is published monthly.
TRANSPORTATION for WATERTOWN SENIORS – Call the Senior Center at (617) 972-6490 for more information. GROCERY SHOPPING, TRIPS TO TARGET, MARSHALLS, WATERTOWN & ARSENAL MALLS Via the Watertown Senior Shuttle (617) 972-6490.
Call the Senior Center to be added to the route if you are new or need to change from your scheduled day. The Shuttle will pick you up and return you to your home. Approximately 1 hour of shopping time. Suggested donation is $1.00 Round Trip. 3 BAG LIMIT! Please show the driver your My Senior Center Key Tag. Applications available on the Senior Shuttle.
TRANSPORTATION TO THE SENIOR CENTER FOR PROGRAMS and SERVICES
(617) 972-6490 – We want to see you at the Senior Center! Call us! Program available as funding permits.
TO LOCAL DOCTORS – (617) 972-6490 – Call the Senior Center 2 days in advance to schedule your taxi ride.
You may tip the driver at your discretion. A spouse, friend, or companion may accompany you at no extra charge. Program available as funding permits.
THE MBTA RIDE
Have you thought about taking the MBTA Ride? For eligibility contact: THE RIDE – 617-337-2727 www.mbta.com/theride
OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES—CALL THE SENIOR CENTER AT (617) 972-6490 FOR DETAILS
¨ Metrowest Legal Services Clinic – Call to schedule a 20 minute appointment with the attorney
¨ Watertown Food Pantry at 80 Mount Auburn Street, Rear– Tuesdays 10-11:30 and Thursdays 4-6
¨ Senior Parking Permits – for up to 2 free hours of metered parking in Watertown’s municipal parking lots
JOIN ONE OF OUR REGULAR PROGRAMS
Art For Fun — Mondays at 9:30 AM – Bring your own art project (oil, watercolor, pencil or ink) to this open studio.
Bridge/Chess/Cribbage/Rummikub/Whist/Canasta—Bring your skills to any of these groups. Drop in and join in the afternoon fun.
Knitting—Wednesdays at 12:30 PM – Working on a project or need a little help? Stop in for an afternoon of creative work and conversation.
Mellowtones Choral Group—Fridays – Love to sing? This co-ed group led by music director Anne Silverman will put a song in your heart! All welcome. Fridays at 12:30 PM.
BINGO! Fridays at 10:00 AM for BINGO fun.
EXERCISE CLASSES at the SENIOR CENTER
$3 for each Exercise or Yoga class. $4 for Line Dancing. Each class lasts one hour.
In the absence of an instructor, the Senior Center reserves the right to substitute an instructor or cancel the class.
MONDAYS: 11:00 – Exercise with Shannon
TUESDAYS: 9:30 – Exercise with Joanna G 11:15 – Line Dancing with Manny
WEDNESDAYS: 11:00 – Mat Yoga with Sue G. (Please bring your own mat.)
THURSDAYS: 9:30 – Chair Yoga with Diane S.
FRIDAYS: 10:00 – Exercise with Henry O.