2025 Award Winners
Bob Dolson Founders Award Cindi McLaughlin, Executive Director – St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior CenterThe Bob Dolson Founders Award was first given in 2024 to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of aging or the well-being of older adults, and who has demonstrated the qualities of leadership, innovation, collaboration, service, and compassion […]
Older Michiganian’s Day 2024 Lawmaker Letter
Dear Legislator: As we approach Senior Action Week, April 29 – May 3, we are reaching out to ask for your support in the FY 2025 budget. While COVID is not as much of an immediate health crisis as in past years, older adults still face many issues that impact their ability to stay independent […]
Where to find food assistance if you’re in need
Region IV Area Agency on Aging receives many inquiries about food availability. Below are some resources for those needing food and those seeking fresh fruit and vegetables this summer. For emergency food assistance, regardless of age, call 2-1-1 to find food pantries near you. You will be asked to put in your zip code and […]
Mental health is health too – treat it that way
Like the proverbial frog in a pot of hot water, the frenetic pace of life can creep up on us until, before we’re aware, the intensity of issues and associated stressors reach a boiling point. You know the frog in the pot of water fable, right? The one where there’s a frog in a pot […]
How to File a Medicare grievance – Sara Duris – May 2022
Questions and Answers Q. I want to file an appeal with Medicare about how long it takes for me to see my doctor at each appointment. I sit in the waiting room past my appointment time, sometimes for as long as 20 minutes, and then I sit in the exam room another 15 to 30 […]
Magazine stories resonate as Mother’s Day approaches-Lynn Kellogg-5/7/22
Thoughts about this week’s column swirled around a number of happenings: realizing it’s Mother’s Day weekend, a visit to my parents’ former summer home to plan work projects, seeing my mother’s wedding gown buried under a collection of needlepoint pieces in a cedar chest, and relaxing with a magazine that seemed to tie a number […]
Celebrate Older Americans Month at the Senior Expo on Thursday-Pat Arter-4/30/22
Older adults play vital, positive roles in our communities as family members, friends, mentors, volunteers, civic leaders, members of the workforce and more. Just as every person is unique, so too is how they age and how they choose to do it – and there is no “right” way. That’s why the theme for Older […]
Negative perceptions of aging could be shortening your life-Christine Vanlandingham-4/23/22
When you think of an old person, what are the first five words or phrases that come to mind? Don’t overthink it. Just write down, or make a mental note of, the first five things that come to mind. Now, consider your list. Were the words positive or negative? If you’re like most adults surveyed […]
What’s the difference between an advance medical directive and a living will?-Sara Duris-4/16/22
Q: My son wants me to get an advance medical directive. I already made a living will a few years ago, isn’t that enough? A: A living will is a document that tells others – your doctors and family – what type of medical care you would like to receive should you become terminally ill or […]
Why we make things-Lynn Kellogg-4/9/22
Why do we make things? Peter Korn, a furniture maker turned craftmanship guru in Maine wrote a book titled “Why We Make Things and Why It Matters.” He taps some themes we all kind of know but often take for granted. Creativity is good for us, physically and mentally. Multiple studies have shown its reduction […]