SENIOR SNIPPETS
Driver, medical advocates training set
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley is offering training for people who want to volunteer to help the elderly through the "Friends-in-Deed" Program that provides helpmates in roles such as companion, food shopper, driver and errands. Training for drivers is offered Wednesday, Jan. 28, or Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. Training for medical advocates is offered Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 10 a.m. All trainings are at the Elder Services offices, 360 Merrimack St., Building 5, Lawrence. ESMV offers a mileage reimbursement along with orientation, training and ongoing support for each role. Information or reservations, contact Gerry Proulx at 978-946-1445.
Blood pressure clinics
Clinic hours are from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St. Clinics on the first and third Tuesdays of the month will be staffed by two nurses. The other weeks, the clinic will be staffed by one nurse only.
Recreation, Council on Aging trips
Red Sox vs. Blue Jays in Toronto, Canada, at the Rogers Centre. Bus will leave Friday, May 29, at 7 a.m. and return in the early evening on Sunday, May 31. Trip includes sightseeing at Niagara Falls and a trip to Niagara's new casino if desired. Hotel accommodations are at the Travelodge Bonaventure in Niagara Falls. Transportation provided by luxury motor coach. Cost is $279 per person, double occupancy; $275 triple occupancy, $369 single occupancy, $249 for child with two adults. Meals not included.
Baby Boomer Adventure Trip to California for seven-days, six-nights for a wine and rail discovery trip May 2 through 8. Cost is $2,050 per person double occupancy, $1,950 triple occupancy, and $2,655 single occupancy. Optional travel insurance is available.
For information, call Kathy Bresnahan or Rita LaBella at 978-374-2390 or e-mail kbresnahan@cityofhaverhill.com.
Grant applications available for programs
Griffin-White Foundation is accepting applications for funding of nonprofit elderly programs. Please request applications from Griffin-White Foundation, P.O. Box 6116, Haverhill, MA 01831.
Caregivers Home accepts referrals
Caregivers Home, a program that provides community-based housing options for elders and disabled adults in need of daily care and assistance, is accepting referrals in Haverhill. The Caregivers Home program pays family or nonfamily caregivers to care for an elder or adult disabled family member (over the age of 16) at home. Caregivers are reimbursed $10,000 to $18,000 per year for home-based care. The program participant and caregiver must live together in either the caregiver's or the participant's home. Care can also be provided by a nonfamily caregiver who is carefully screened and credentialed by Caregivers Home. A registered nurse and a care manager oversee each case through regular home visits, telephone contact and a Web-based case record system. For more information about the Caregivers Home program or to see if your family qualifies, call registered nurse Linda Morreale-Steele at 857-891-7432 or visit www.caregiverhomes.com.
Ongoing services, programs
Creative Problem Solving through Journaling on Tuesdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 32 at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St. Cost is $20 for six weeks. For more information, call Kathy or Rita at 978-374-2390.
Drawing and painting classes with Cara Smoley. Classes are held every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., and are open to the public. Cost for the six-week series is $30. Participants must buy their own materials. New members need to bring three pencils, a kneaded eraser and a 9-by-10 Bristol Drawing Pad. Registration is required. To register, call 978-374-2390.
"Mr. Fix-it": A volunteer is available to come into the center on a monthly basis to fix small appliances and lamps, change watch batteries, etc., for seniors for a nominal fee. To sign up, call Kathy or Rita at 978-374-2390.
Bingo is played Mondays and Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.
Line dancing is Mondays and Wednesdays 9 to 11 a.m.
Bridge is played Wednesdays and Fridays 12 to 3 p.m.
Memoir writing is Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Evening yoga classes every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. at the Citizen Center on the second floor, 10 Welcome St. Cost is $5 per session. For more information, call Kathy or Rita at 978-374-2390.
Newcomers group for seniors who have recently moved to Haverhill meets the first Monday of each month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 22. If the first Monday is a holiday, coffee hour is held the second Monday. Longtime Haverhill seniors are also encouraged to participate. Refreshments will be served.
Vintage movies are shown Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. in Room 45.
Wood shop is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Knitting circle is Mondays at 10 a.m.
Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 9 a.m.
Walkers meet Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m.
A discussion group meets Mondays at 1:30 p.m.
Blood pressure clinics every Tuesday in the nurse's office from 8 a.m. to noon.
Chair massages offered free for Haverhill seniors the first Tuesday of the month by licensed massage therapist Susan L. Plouffe. For reservations, call 978-274-2390.
SHINE counselors are available to offer confidential health insurance counseling for elders and their family members at no cost. For appointments, contact SHINE counselor Pat Paradis on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to noon at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St.
Free cellular phones are available for qualifying seniors. Phones are programmed to call 911 in an emergency. For details, call Joel at 978-374-2390.
Electric wheelchairs available at no cost to seniors and permanently disabled citizens through the Three Wishes Inc. program. The power wheelchairs are provided to those who cannot walk and cannot self-propel a manual wheelchair, and who meet guidelines. For information, call 800-823-5220 or www.threewishes2.com.
On-the-job training
The Senior Community Service Employment Program provides a paid, on-the-job training program that enables a participant to work 20 hours per week at a nonprofit organization or government agency training site in the community, and earn $7.50 per hour. The training site agrees to train the participant in a new skill that will enable him or her to pursue unsubsidized, full-time employment over time. For more information, call Ms. Jepson at Operation A.B.L.E., 888-470-2253, ext. 122.
Shredder available
The Haverhill Council on Aging and TRIAD have purchased a shredder for city seniors to use. The shredder will be available at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., Room 30, every Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Papers that should be shredded to reduce the risk of identity theft include charge slips and charge bills, bank statements, financial records and all papers that contain Social Security numbers and account numbers. There is no charge for this service. For information, call Joel at 978-374-2390, Wednesdays and Fridays, noon to 2:30 p.m.
Staying Healthy schedule
Haverhill Council on Aging revised its Senior Staying Healthy program schedule. Blood pressure clinics will now be held every Tuesday in the nurse's office at the Citizens Center, 10 Welcome St., 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. This is a walk-in clinic and first come, first served. The food clinic will be the second Thursday of each month, by appointment only. The blood pressure and foot clinics are provided by Home Health VNA and HomeCare Inc. For additional information, call Kathy Bresnahan or Rita LaBella at 978-374-2390.
Reduced-price condos
Community Action Inc. has applications available for low- to moderate-income residents over the age of 55 to buy new condominiums for the reduced price of $209,100 and $220,913. The two-bedroom condominiums are part of The Fairways development located off Newton Road. The maximum allowed annual income for a single person is $54,700, two-person household is $62,600, three-person household is $70,400, four-person household is $78,200. Applications are available in the Community Action Office, 145 Essex St. For information, call Richard Lynch at 978-373-1971.
