Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs has released the 2010 Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders. This guide includes tips to prepare for:

• hurricanes
• floods
• fires
• tornadoes
• severe thunderstorms
• pandemic flu
• extreme temperature

In addition, there are sections about special needs, caring for your pet in emergencies, and disaster recovery. Click here to access this guide. In addition, local disaster preparedness information can be found at the Pasco County Emergency Management website - here.

Senior Fun Fest and Jamboree in Plant City

The Senior Connections and Mature Lifestyles magazines will be sponsoring a "Senior Fun Fest" on Wednesday, June 30th, from 9:00am - 2:00pm. Admission is free and the event will feature:

• Dancing
• Live Music
• Free Health Screenings
• Games
• Free Coffee and Goodies
• Prizes and Giveaways

Strawberry Festival Grounds

2202 W. Reynolds St.
Plant City, FL

For more information about the Senior Fun Fest, please call 813-653-1988.

Senior Card Games at Hugh Embry

Come out to the Hugh Embry Library to play cards with old friends, and make new friends! Board games will also be available. Light refreshments will be served.

What:   Senior Games
When:  Friday, June 25, 2010
Time:   1:00 PM
Where:  Hugh Embry Library
              14215 Fourth St., Dade City, FL 33523


Questions? Call 352-567-3576

Website to Compare Prescription Drug Prices in Florida

Want to find the lowest price for your prescription drug at local pharmacies? The Florida Attorney General and the Agency for Health Care Administration have created a website to enable Florida residents to compare prescription drug prices at different pharmacies. This website, myfloridarx.com, provides information about the 100 most commonly used prescription drugs and the price information is updated monthly. The reported prices are retail prices for uninsured customers without any supplemental plan.  Note: prices may change within the month, so these are not guaranteed prices.

How Healthy is Your County?

The University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have released a set of reports which rank the health of every county in the United States. You can compare your county to other counties in your state. The rankings are based on how healthy people are and how long they live in each county. The rankings also take into account key factors that effect health, such as: air pollution levels, rates of violent crime, smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, and the number of children living in poverty. These County Health Rankings are online and can be searched here.

Pasco County is ranked 37th out of 67 counties in Florida in Health Outcomes and 25th out of 67 counties in Health Factors. The Pasco County Summary for 2010 provided the following statistics:

•   9,150 premature deaths (the target value is 6,978)
• 17% of people reported poor or fair health
• the average number of poor physical health days reported by people in the last 30 days: 4.7 days
• 24% of adults do not have health insurance
• motor vehicle crash death rate per 100,000 population: 24 (target is 16)

The Florida summary report can be found here.

Volunteer Opportunities in Pasco County

Community Aging and Retirement Services, Inc. (CARES) is urgently looking for volunteers for the Elfers Center. They need people to help with the "Telephone Reassurance Program". Volunteers in this program make telephone calls to elderly people to monitor their safety and to provide social support. In addition, they need volunteers to work in the center's thrift shop. To find out more about volunteering for one of these positions, please call (727)847-1290. Click here for more volunteer opportunities at other CARES Senior Centers within Pasco County.

Make a Wish Programs for Seniors

You have probably heard of the Make a Wish Foundation, which helps children with life threatening illnesses, but did you know there are similar organizations that help low income older adults? Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime Foundation grants lifelong wishes to Seniors who "have overcome tremendous challenges in their lives". This foundation was started by Olympic skier and former NFL player Jeremy Bloom and it now fulfills wishes for Seniors throughout the United States. The following video shows highlights from one wish: a trip for two dozen World War II and Korean War veterans from Ohio to see the World War II and Korean War Memorials in Washington, DC.



For more information about applying for a wish or about supporting this Foundation, click here 

The Twilight Wish Foundation is similar organization, which was founded in 2003. It has 13 chapters in 12 states (including Florida), which have fulfilled 1275 wishes in people in 35 states. One unique aspect of the Twilight Wish Foundation is their Inter-generational Caring Programs which bring students, clubs, and schools together to make wishes come true. For more information about this charity, please click here.

The Forever Young Senior Wish Organization in Collierville, TN wants to "change the image of aging and redefine it with self-confidence, respect, and a fun-filled life." This organization has fulfilled wishes from celebrating a 100th birthday, to family reunions, to getting an electric wheelchair. For more information on this organization, please click here.