After our initial enrollment in Medicare, many of us would prefer to never have to think about our health insurance again, but we may be doing ourselves a disservice. After all, our health status can change at any moment – we can be diagnosed with a chronic disease, which has us making frequent visits to a new specialist and taking expensive medications. Also, Medicare health and drug plans, themselves, often change from one year to the next – whether it’s a change in coverage, premium, or which providers and pharmacies participate in their networks.
Luckily, the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) gives Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to review their health care coverage each year and make changes to better suit their current needs. Because we know that can be a daunting and confusing endeavor, we’ve invited Krista Harbacz, HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling, and Assistance Program) Coordinator from Senior Services of Albany to the NNORC on Wednesday, November 15, to conduct free and confidential one-on-one counseling sessions to help you make the right decision for yourself during Medicare’s open enrollment season.
If you think it may be time to review your insurance coverage and make a change, please call NNORC at 518-514-2023 to reserve your hour-long appointment time with Krista. (Site will be announced at the time of registration.)
NNORC Breakfast Club Discusses Upcoming Fall Prevention Program
We will be welcoming Scott L. Homer, MS, OTR/L, Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Director and Health Sciences Department Chair from Maria College. He will be discussing the upcoming Falls Prevention Program in November facilitated by Judi England, RN, NNORC Senior Health Education Coordinator.
DATE: Wednesday, October 11, 2017
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
PLACE: Albany JCC, 340 Whitehall Road, Albany
RSVP: Please RSVP to NNORC at 518-514-2023
Please save Wednesday, November 8 for the next NNORC Breakfast Club where we will welcome Roger Danes, Driver Fitness Center Coordinator at Colonie Senior Services. He will discuss Winter Driving for Seniors.
NNORC and Maria College Come Together for Fall Prevention Program
Once again your Albany NNORC is pleased to offer an important program on Fall Prevention. Like other NNORC health and wellness events, this program is designed to offer useful information in a fun and interactive way. This year, NNORC joins with the Staff and students of Maria College to offer information and skills you need to stay safe at home, and around the town. You will have the opportunity to:
- Explore strategies to help you stay safe AND continue to be active and independent.
- Share ideas with others about our fears, concerns and beliefs about falls
- Learn a sequence of exercises targeted to build the balance, stability and strength important to fall prevention.
- Receive an “In-Home” safety assessment from the faculty and students of Maria College.
Facilitator: Judi England, RN, NNORC Senior Health Education Coordinator
DATE: Thursdays, October 26, November 2, & November 9, 2017
TIME: 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
PLACE: McAuley Hall, Maria College, 308 South Manning Blvd., Albany, New York
RSVP: Registration is required and participation in all 3 sessions of this program is STRONGLY encouraged. Please register with NNORC at 518-514-2023
NNORC & APL's Bach Branch Offer Class on Beginning Computer Skills for PC Owners
Computers can be confusing, but they don’t have to be. Do you have specific questions about using your computer? Do you know how to navigate the internet, search for a recipe, purchase something online?
Sarah McFadden, Digital Literacy Resource Educator at Rensselaer County Cornell Cooperative Extension can help! She will be addressing internet basics as well as staying safe online. Learn how to use the World Wide Web to get things done, as well as search for information and identify reliable sources. Please bring your device (if it’s portable) and your questions.
DATE: Thursday, October 26, 2017
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
PLACE: Bach Library (455 New Scotland Ave., Albany)
RSVP: Please register with NNORC at 518-514-2023 as space is limited
NNORC Presents… CAR FIT: Keeping Seniors Safe Behind the Wheel
For several years, NNORC has offered the CarFit program and the response has been amazing. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. The program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community. Trained screeners will help you fit better in your car, with the ultimate goal of helping you reduce the potential for injuries or car crashes. This program is led by Roger Danes, who serves as the Driver Fitness Center Coordinator at Colonie Senior Services. The evaluation takes only 30 minutes while you are seated in your car. The screening looks at various factors including safety belt use, steering wheel tilt, head rest setting, body positioning to air bag, line of sight over steering wheel, body positioning to gas and brake pedals and mirror adjustment.
DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 2017
TIME: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church parking lot (440 Whitehall Rd., Albany)
RSVP: Appointments are required, so please call NNORC at 518-514-2023 to register
The Apple Store & NNORC Host Class on Organizing Your Photos
Join us to discover how to take advantage of the powerful features in Photos, like an automatically organized library that shows when and where each photo was taken. We’ll explore everything from how Siri can find just the right shot to storing a lifetime of photos and videos in the cloud, so they’re accessible from any of your devices or even the web—anytime. This is a hands-on workshop at the Apple Store iPads will be available, but bring your own iPad or iPod if you have one.
DATE: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
TIME: 6:00–7:30 p.m
PLACE: Apple Store, Crossgates Mall (Level 1)
RSVP: Please call NNORC at 518-514-2023 to sign up
The Apple Store at Crossgates is located on Level 1. Park and enter near Burlington Coat Factory. If you are interested in attending, but need a ride, NNORC staff will try their best to arrange one for you.
Experience Shakespeare in the Garden!
The beauty of flowers has inspired civilizations to attribute symbolic and mystic meanings to each blossom. Throughout the ages, beautiful and poetic thoughts have been conveyed by the presentation of a single blossom, and whole messages were communicated by bouquets in which each flower chosen offered a significant idea. In his plays and poetry, Shakespeare was a master at the use of symbolism through his choice of plants and flowers. Join Master Gardener Volunteer Cathie Gifford from Cornell Cooperative Extension Come and hear about Shakespeare’s genius, including “And there’s Pansies, that’s for thoughts” (Hamlet).
DATE: Thursday, October 19, 2017
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
PLACE: First Congregational Church (405 Quail Street, Albany)
RSVP: Please call NNORC to register at 518-514-2023
FEE: $4.00
NNORC & Bach Library are Joining Together to Offer a New Program!
Are you interested in learning basic computer skills? We have a new program for the fall! One-on-one Computer Skills Group is looking for individuals who want some extra help with their computer! We have some NNORC seniors who will be able to offer assistance with the computer. Please bring your charged device—tablet, phone or laptop (Apple or PC) if possible.
Date: Monday, October 16, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: APL’s Bach Branch, 455 New Scotland Avenue, Albany
RSVP: Please call NNORC at 514-2023 to register
* An additional class will be offered Monday, November 6 at 12:00 p.m.
Farewell to Joe and Miriam Adler
Last month, we bid a bittersweet farewell to longtime NNORC Residents’ Council member Joe Adler. Joe and his wife Miriam are relocating to New Jersey to live closer to their two sons and their families. Joe was a devoted and faithful NNORC Residents Council member through the years, frequently advocating, passionately and effectively, for our community members with disabilities and mental health issues. Joe also played a vital role in the committee that drafted our NNORC Blueprint for the Future, a document we continue to consult as we plan programs and services for the NNORC community. All of us on the council, who have come to know Joe as a friend, will miss his gentle presence, thoughtful contributions, and playful sense of humor.
And we would absolutely be remiss if we did not mention that Joe’s “better half,” his wife Miriam, a former executive director of Jewish Family Services, was instrumental in the original NNORC application process and in getting this invaluable program off the ground. The NNORC community owes an enormous debt of gratitude to both Adlers. Our very best wishes to Joe and Miriam in their new adventure!
Don’t Miss NNORC Night at the JCC
Come out for another NNORC Night at the JCC. The JCC will be serving up a wonderful tasty dinner featuring honey chicken, along with good conversation and fun. NNORC night is always a great way to share good fellowship, break bread, catch up with friends and make new ones. There will also be a short presentation during dinner by EPIC, a senior discount prescription medication plan.
Date: Monday, October 23, 2017
Time: 4:45 p.m
Place: Albany JCC, 340 Whitehall Rd, Albany
RSVP: Please call Claire Sigal at 518-438-6651 to make your reservation. Transportation requests can be made when making your reservation. Last call for reservations is 9:30 a.m. on October 23.
Cost: The suggested donation is $5.00