April 27, 2005
Unfabricated tidbits and other neat SHASS stuff
SHASS extends an invitation to all of you to visit its website at shass.org. Take a few moments to browse the varied activities and services SHASS offers to all area seniors. Visit often as the site is updated several times a month thanks to our savvy webmaster, Ted Martin. (Of course this blog would not be possible without the expertise of our queen webmaster Denise Hartmann.)SHASS connects individuals with outreach programs and educational opportunities that promote independence through volunteers and community support.
And now on to unfabricated tidbits:
Recently, a senior wrote in the last newsletter about the heating unit going out in his dryer. He said he cleaned his lint screen after every load of laundry so he couldn't understand why the heating element would break.
He talked to his "Mr Fix It" who showed our senior something amazing. "Mr Fix It" took the clean filter over to the sink and ran hot water through it and the hot water just accumulated in the mesh and spilled over the sides.
He told the senior that dryer softener sheets cause a film over the mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't see the film, but it's there. "Mr Fix It" said the best way to keep a dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower)is to take the filter and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every six months.
This writer, who had switched years ago to fabric softener dryer sheets, and who kept her lint screen pristine, thought the "Mr. Fix It" story was fabricated. It was out of skeptical curiosity she tried the water test. Much to her dismay the soapy water collected as if the screen were a bowl! It bubbled and she frothed! From now on the only fabric sheets she'll buy will be the sleeping kind!
Care Watch News - Neat stuff
SHASS now has a new service called Information and Assistance (I&A). Staff member Arles Odette is the Information and Assistance specialist assisting seniors.
Arles can help dispense information such as listing the providers of a particular service category so seniors can make contact directly; making connection with a service on a senior's behalf; negotiating with a service provider for a particular need; and following up on contacts to ensure the senior has been provided the services that meets his/her requirements.
For more information call Arles at the SHASS office: 637-3607.
Until next time... softly yours....
Posted by Sandra at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2005
Give from the Heart Campaign update and much more....
South Haven Area Senior Services (SHASS) kicked off its first annual campaign on Valentine's Day. SHASS is committed to helping elders in the South Haven area with compassion and pride. The SHASS service area now includes the cities of South Haven and Bangor and the townships of Geneva, South Haven, Columbia, Bangor and Arlington. SHASS designed its campaign to bring additional resources to help seniors with rides to medical care, to provide health screening and exercise programs, to enhance Care Watch in-home case management service, to provide senior center activities and to provide scholarships to low income seniors to cover the cost of programs that require a program fee.
SHASS set the campaign goal at $10,000. The SHASS Board participated 100 percent in the campaign and has been actively calling other community members to encourage contributions. Staff members sponsored an internal campaign. So far SHASS has reached 71 percent of its goal (over $7200), which is exciting for both staff and Board members. The deadline for the campaign is May 1.
To help SHASS fulfill its goal in services to the elderly, call Director Jennifer Carver at SHASS - 269-637-3607. Donations may be mailed to SHASS, 220 Broadway, South Haven, MI 49090. All donations are tax deductible.
SHASS is also sponsoring its first annual Senior Day for all seniors 60 and over entitled: "Seniors: Safe, Sound, Secure." The event takes place Wednesday, June 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Van Buren ISD Conference Center (handicap accessible) in Lawrence. There is no cost for the event, and parking is also free. Seniors needing transportation can call Van Buren Public Transit at 269-427-7921 by June 6.
Senior Day will include hourly workshops addressing Elder Abuse, Identity Theft, Guardianship and Power of Attorney and much more. Other events include health screenings such as blood sugar, blood pressure, dementia, Falls Assessment, exercise and a Vendor Fair. On site reps from home care agencies, hospitals and human services will be in attendance.
Meals include a Continental breakfast and lunch. A $2 is suggested for lunch.
To register for Senior Day, call SHASS at 269-637-3607 or the toll free number - 1-866-627-8904.
Senior Day is sponsored by: Department of Human Services (FIA), Region IV Area on Aging Agency, SHASS, Van Buren County Services Collaborative Council and Van Buren County Sheriff's Office.
The SHASS fitness program Lighthouse Steppers and The Lighter Club is rolling along very well. Over 125 people have signed up for this fun program made possible through Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan Healthy Aging Grant Program.
Now that spring has sprung we have mapped outdoor trails of different lengths for our high steppers. There are also indoor treadmills at the Warren Senior Center and indoor walking at the Hope Reformed Church in South Haven and at the Methodist Church in Bangor. Call SHASS at 637-3607 for more information about the fitness program, which is also available to non-seniors.
In other news, SHASS is sponsoring a new service called Information and Assistance (I & A). Staff member Arles Odette will be the Information and Assistance specialist. Arles will help seniors find and work with appropriate human service providers, including SHASS, that can meet seniors' needs in the following ways: information giving (listing the providers of a particular service category so one can make his/her own contact directly); referral (making contact with a particular provider on a senior's behalf); brokering (negotiating with a service provider for one's particualr needs); and follow-up contacts to ensure seniors have been provided services that meet their requirements.
Arles looks forward to helping seniors connect to health and human services to meet their individual needs. For more information call SHASS at 269-637-3607.
Posted by Sandra at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)