DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
DCOA Executive Director John M. Thompson and Chief of Staff
Camile Williams helped celebrate Corporal Alyce Dixon's 107th birthday.
Last week, D.C. Office on Aging Executive Director John
M. Thompson, Ph.D. hosted his quarterly roundtable discussions with seniors at
Hattie Holmes, Congress Heights, Hayes and Model Cities Senior Wellness Centers to ensure that seniors have
an opportunity to weigh in on issues that directly impact their lives.
Few major topics of discussion included:
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New hours for DCOA’s senior
wellness centers: Beginning
October 1, 2014 the hours of operations
for the Senior Wellness Centers will expand.
This will provide more options
for working seniors. Additionally,
evening hours could allow for
increased social programming, educational workshops, additional fitness options and allow for community
meetings.
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DCOA
new “Code of Conduct": The Code of Conduct is designed to help communicate
with the public certain expectations when utilizing DCOA and affiliated
facilities, services, and programs. On August 29, 2014, the proposed Code
of Conduct was published in the D.C. Register and will remain open to
public comment until September 27, 2014. DCOA highly encourages everyone
to read through the proposed code and offer feedback by clicking here.
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DCOA
launches Club Memory:
DCOA is partnering with Sibley
Hospital to establish the Club Memory Program on the East End of the City.
Club Memory is a stigma-free social club for people with early-stage
Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment or other forms of dementia, and
their spouses, partners and caregivers and will take place at the Congress
Heights Senior Wellness Center.
For live coverage of each town hall meeting,
follow us on Twitter!
Upcoming town hall meetings:
October 2nd, at 11:00 a.m.
Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center 3531 Georgia Avenue, N.W.
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The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH) has launched What a Waste™, a new initiative to combat senior hunger by reducing and recapturing food waste in the District of Columbia.
Under contract to D.C. Office on Aging (DCOA), NFESH will develop and lead DCOA in implementing the two-year high-tech pilot study in three senior wellness centers that operate nutrition programs to serve meals to seniors. All kitchens, regardless of size and type, experience some food waste. This innovative project is designed to help senior nutrition programs identify and categorize it, so that unnecessary waste can be reduced and waste that cannot be eliminated can be recaptured and turned to good use.
Read full article here.
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The next topic of
discussion for the D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon is "Part 1 of a two part series of
the four stages on caregiving." The chat will be for
individuals 18-59 and 60+ held on Tuesday, September 16th at 12 p.m.,
visit www.dcoa.dc.gov/caregiver-chat to join the discussion.
The D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at
Noon is designed to provide resources, tips and other information to
assist persons caring for older adults informally. If you miss the noon chat,
retun to www.dcoa.dc.gov/caregiver-chat and press replay to view the conversation. For more
information, contact Linda Irizarry at 202-535-1442.
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Did you know our annual Falls Prevention Week will be observed on September 22-25, 2014 to raise awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults? Register today to learn more about staying upright and safe:
September 22, 2014
Ward 1 Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center 3531 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 727-0338
Ward 4 Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center 324 Kennedy Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 291-6170
Ward 5 Model Cities Senior Wellness Center 1901 Evarts Street, NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 635-1900
Ward 7 Washington Seniors Wellness Center 3001 Alabama Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20020 (202) 581-9355
Ward 8 Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center 3500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20032 (202) 563-7225
September 23, 2014
Ward 2 George Washington University Hospital 900 23rd St. NW Washington D.C. 20037 Kenyatta Hazlewood, RN BSN MPH kenyatta.hazlewood@gwu-hospital.com (202) 715-4210
Ward 3 Iona Senior Services Satterlee Hall St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 3001 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20016 (202) 895-9448 or e-mail info@iona.org
September 24, 2014
Ward 6 Hayes Senior Wellness Center 500 K Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 727-0357
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On October 1, Bernice Founteneau
Senior Wellness Center will host a free six week course on social media.
Classes will be taught by Life by Ashley Joy Executive Editor, Ashley
Jefferson. The primary objective of the course is to bolster understanding and
usage of 1) internet search engines and email; 2) Facebook and Twitter; and 3) Skype and Facetime. DCOA’s hope is to
increase access to technology and empower seniors to utilize the various social
media tools that improve connectivity to family, friends, community members and health care providers. To learn more and to sign up, make sure to
attend Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness Center’s Monthly Town Hall on
September 24 at 1 p.m. For additional details contact the Bernice Fonteneau Senior Wellness
Center at (202) 727-0338.
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The
District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) announced that it
has begun mailing more than 800 notices to senior property owners who may
qualify for the Senior Citizen/Disabled Property Tax Relief. The benefit
provides qualified property owners with a 50 percent discount on
their real property taxes.
This notice to seniors of the
benefit is a key component of Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey DeWitt’s
strategic plan.
“The
senior deduction is a critical tool in the District’s effort to enable our
older citizens to remain in their homes and to continue to contribute to the
communities and neighborhoods they helped to create,” said Jeffrey DeWitt.
“I hope that relatives, friends and neighbors will ask seniors if they are
receiving the senior deduction, and, if they are not, helping them to apply for
it.”
To qualify for the credit,
property owners must: 1) Be
age 65 or over 2) Own 50 percent or more of
their residence 3) Have less than $125,000 in household federal adjusted gross income 4) Legally
reside in the District of Columbia
To have the benefit applied as a credit to 2014
second half real property taxes, a completed application
must be submitted to OTR on or before September 30, 2014.
Income qualification is
controlled by the income tax return filed for the year prior to the beginning
of the real property tax year in question. Therefore, income reported on a
taxpayer’s 2012 income tax return controls entitlement for the 2013-2014 real
property tax year and income reported on a taxpayer’s 2013 income tax return
controls entitlement to the 2014-2015 real property tax year.
To obtain an
application or additional information about the tax relief visit OTR’s Web site
at www.taxpayerservicecenter.com under “Real Property Tax” or call OTR’s
Customer Service Administration at (202) 727-4TAX (4829).
FP-100 Homestead Deduction, Senior
Citizen, and Disabled Property Tax Relief Application/Reconfirmation
For adults over 60, the benefits of healthy eating include increased mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels, faster recuperation times, and better management of chronic health problems. As we age, eating well can also be the key to a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced. But healthy eating doesn’t have to be about dieting and sacrifice. Whatever your age, eating well should be all about fresh, colorful food, creativity in the kitchen, and eating with friends.
Few healthy tips for seniors:
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Live longer and stronger – Good nutrition keeps muscles, bones, organs, and other body parts strong for the long haul. Eating vitamin-rich food boosts immunity and fights illness-causing toxins. A proper diet reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, bone loss, cancer, and anemia. Also, eating sensibly means consuming fewer calories and more nutrient-dense foods, keeping weight in check.
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Sharpen the mind – Key nutrients are essential for the brain to do its job. People who eat a selection of brightly colored fruit, leafy veggies, and fish and nuts packed with omega-3 fatty acids can improve focus and decrease their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Feel better – Wholesome meals give you more energy and help you look better, resulting in a self-esteem boost. It’s all connected—when your body feels good you feel happier inside and out.
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