DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
Recently, DCOA
Executive Director John M. Thompson, Ph.D., CPM, FAAMA had
an opportunity to travel to Portland,
Oregon to tour the Bridge Meadows intergenerational housing campus. Bridge Meadows offers apartment living for
residents 55 years and older, within an innovative community that brings
together three generations to support families adopting children from foster
care. Housing at Bridge Meadows offers an opportunity for seniors to have a
sense of community and purpose. Additionally, the community helps combat social
isolation for seniors, which is important for a
person’s mental well-being.
Through
a partnership with
the DC Child and Family Services Agency, Generations of Hope Development
Corporation and other community-based organizations,
DCOA is partnering to introduce intergenerational
housing to the District.
"I
can't wait to bring this to the District of Columbia!" - Dr. John M.
Thompson
For more information on this new imitative,
please contact Darrell Jackson at 202-727-8371 or darrell.jacksonjr@dc.gov.
 Serve DC is
encouraging residents to volunteer on behalf of the DC Citizen Snow
Team. The DC Citizen Snow Team is comprised of volunteers who are able to
assist seniors and residents with disabilities with shoveling and snow removal
in the event of winter weather.
*Currently,
there is a critical need for volunteers in Wards 4, 7 and 8.
The
District requires property owners (residential and commercial) to clear the
sidewalks surrounding their property within 24 hours after a snowfall.
Register online to become a DC Citizen Snow Team
volunteer. For questions or further information, please contact Melvyn Smith at melvyn.smith@dc.gov or call (202) 727-7925
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 Yesterday, Julianne
Moore won the
Oscars’ Best Actress category for her performance as a woman facing
younger-onset Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice."
The film tells the story of a college professor, wife and mother who learns she
has younger-onset Alzheimer's disease. "I was diagnosed with
younger-onset Alzheimer's three years ago, and worked directly with Julianne
sharing my experiences with her, describing what it feels like to live with
Alzheimer's and how I cope. Last year, on my 50th birthday, I was on set for
the filming of "Still Alice" in New York City. It was a surreal day;
I felt like I was watching my story unfold in front of me."
Read full story here.
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Senior
Games to be held May 4 – 15, 2015
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will open
registration for the 32nd Annual DC Senior Games on today, Friday, February 20,
2015 at 1 pm. Online and in person registration will be available through
Friday, April 24, 2015 at 11:59 pm, however early registration is highly
recommended. The DC Senior Games (DCSG) are scheduled to take place Monday, May
4 - Friday, May 15, 2015 at various locations throughout the District of
Columbia. Participants can register in-person at any recreation center;
download and submit the application in-person; or register
online.
There is a $40 registration fee per athlete. The registration fee includes all entrance fees and a
t-shirt. If submitting a
paper application, all payments are to be made in the form of a personal check,
cashiers check or money order; made payable to "DC Treasurer." If registering online, payment is due at the time of registration via credit
card or debit card only.
The DC Senior Games opening ceremony will take place on Monday,
May 4, 2015 at 10 am at the legendary Howard Theatre, located at 620 T Street
NW. The closing ceremony will also take place at the Howard Theatre on
Monday, May 18th at 10 am.
The DC Senior Games is a yearly competition, hosted by DPR and sanctioned by
the National Senior Games Association (NSGA), that brings together seniors from
across the District to participate in athletic activities, while promoting
healthy living for a longer, more robust life. Over 80 athletes competed in the 2014 DC Senior Games. Each year, the DC Senior
Games features activities including: basketball, bowling, horseshoe toss,
pickleball, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field.
Athletes who participate in the 2015 DC Senior Games may qualify
to compete in the National Senior Games, which are held every odd numbered
year. In 2013, over 30 seniors represented the District of Columbia at the
National Senior Games in Cleveland, OH. The 2015 National Senior Games will be
held July 3 – 16, 2015 in Bloomington/Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN.
For additional information about the DC Senior Games,
including how to volunteer, please call (202) 664-7153.
 D.C. Office on Aging
is actively recruiting seniors, former first responders, lead agency personnel
and college students to participate in the District of Columbia’s First
Responder training in the event of an emergency, disaster or catastrophe.
For more information, please call Sandra Lee at 202-727-7402.
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If you’re an older consumer and you’re having
trouble with debt collectors, you’re not alone. According to U.S. Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, "since July 2013, older Americans have
submitted approximately 8,700 complaints to us about debt collection."
Their top debt collection complaint is that
the debt collectors attempt to collect funds that consumers do not owe, do not
recognize, or believe are wrong. The second most common complaint is about the
collectors’ communication tactics.
Here are 4 things that you or your loved ones
can do when experiencing debt collection problems:
consumerfinance.gov/blog/four-things-older-americans-can-do-about-debt-collection-problems
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