If you are turning 65 or going on Medicare soon, here is an opportunity for you to get the information you need. “Medicare Basics” will be held at Buckham West on Monday, October 4th from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The workshop will cover the parts of Medicare- hospital, medical and drug options; including original/ traditional Medicare, Medicare supplements, Medicare advantage plans, Part D prescription drug coverage and preventive benefits.

Instructor Chad Wojchik is a certified State Health Insurance Program Counselor and specialist with the Senior LinkAge Line®. This is a free event which is open to the public. There is a minimum of 10 participants for this class to be held, so sign up is necessary by calling 332-7357

 

Advance Care Planning

If you had a health crisis and were unable to communicate with your loved ones and medical care providers, who would make decisions for you? Does this person know your wishes and have you put your thoughts in writing? Advance care planning is a process of thinking about what’s important to you, talking with those who matter to you, and writing down your wishes for health care and treatment in a Health Care Directive.

Don’t know where to start? Attend this free Honoring Choices Advance Care Planning education series to learn more. This 2-session course will walk with you through the process of advance care planning and facilitate the completion of your health care directive. Plan to attend both sessions as you will be asked to complete activities between the sessions.

 

  • Session 1: Introduction to Advance Care Planning and Your Health Care Agent

Tuesday, August 3, 2021 from 10 – 11 am

We will address the 6 W’s of advance care planning (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How)

Using the Honoring Choices Health Care Directive as a guide, we will discuss how to identify your health care agent and start an open conversation.

  • Session 2: Completing Your Health Care Directive

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 from 10 – 11 am

Continuing the discussion with the Honoring Choices Health Care Directive, we will answer your questions and provide guidance as you complete a directive that reflects your wishes for health care decision making and treatment.

 

About the Instructor: Pat Heydon is the coordinator for Honoring Choices Advance Care Planning for Faribault & Owatonna. Her experience as a social worker in hospital settings working with patients and families in crisis showed her the importance of advance care planning and drives her passion to helping others understand and complete this very important document.

Call 507-977-2330 or email honoringchoices@allina.com to register. Registration will not be handled through Buckham West.

 

CaptionCall Phones

Do you struggle to hear or understand what people are saying to you on the phone? Would it help if you could not only hear, but see what is being said? With a captioning service you can read the conversation right on your phone.

On Thursday, August 26th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., David Johnson with CaptionCall Phone will be at Buckham West with an information session. CaptionCall is a captioned telephone service that lets people with hearing loss read what the other person is saying.  It is a federally funded provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act at no cost to those who qualify. CaptionCall staff provides free phone installation and training.

Hear about the products and learn how you might receive this service. A demo phone will be available so that you can get a hands-on experience. Information session is open to public, free of charge, no preregistration.

 

Senior Spotlight Day

Coming up next week is the Rice County Fair with Senior Spotlight Day scheduled for Thursday, July 22nd. There are many things planned for those in attendance, including:

  • 11:30 am- Spotlight meal in Straight River Room at minimal cost
  • 1:00 pm – Presentation of the Rice County Outstanding Senior Volunteer in the Straight River Room.

Also offered for seniors that day is a shuttle ride from the parking lot and around the grounds. Seniors that attend will also discover many specials throughout the fairgrounds on rides and food. For more information check out the fair’s website at www.ricecountyfair.net

 

Dining Room Opens August 1st

            We are looking forward to August 1st when we will be welcoming our diners back in to the building’s dining room. When the congregate dining program was switched to a curbside model in March of 2020, who knew that it would be 16 months before we opened again. As in many things after Covid, there will be several changes to the congregate program as we move forward including:

  • The current curbside pick-up model will continue to operate along with the congregate option for the time being.
  • Pre-registration will be required for the dining room and the curbside meals. There will be no walk-ins in the dining room any longer. This is a change for the dining room!
  • The dining room payment methods will be “pay-as-you-go” or the pre-paid green discount tickets which will be available again. The curbside meals will continue to be invoiced monthly. Green tickets are not a payment option for the curbside pickup option.
  • Meals will be served in the dining room first, beginning at 11:30am. The curbside meals will then be brought out to the curb following the food service in the dining room.

Defensive Driving Classes

Returning to Buckham West after many months, are the driver safety classes offered by AARP. We have put together an extensive offering of the 4-hour refresher classes, which are needed by many older adults. Class sizes have been increased to 45, in order to accommodate the many people that have been waiting to attend. We also have arranged for an 8-hour initial class to be taught this fall.

Cost: $25.00 – AARP Members, $30.00 – Non-AARP Members. Fees are based on AARP membership, not Buckham West membership. Payment must be made prior to the class start date in order to secure your place. Cash or checks, made out to Buckham West, are accepted.

Classes held in Buckham West’s Anderson Conference Room, 19 Division St. W. Faribault.  Please call 332-7357 to sign up or stop in to register for the following classes.

  • 4-Hour Refresher Class: Wed., Sept 8; 1:00-5:00pm
  • 4-Hour Refresher Class: Thur., Sept 16; 4:00-8:00pm
  • 4-Hour Refresher Class: Wed., Oct. 13; 4:00-8:00pm
  • 4-Hour Refresher Class: Tue., Nov. 9; 1:00-5:00pm
  • 4-Hour Refresher Class: Wed., Dec. 15; 4:00-8:00pm
  • 8-Hour Initial Class: Wed. & Thur., Oct. 27 & 28; 4-8:00pm