Medicare Part B Deadline is March 31st

Medicare Part B medical insurance "helps cover medically-necessary services like doctors' services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, home health services, and other medical services"(Medicare.gov). When you become eligible for Medicare Part A, you will have seven months to sign up for Part B. If you do not sign up in this period, then you will have to wait until the next open enrollment period -January 1st through March 31st. 
It is important to sign up for Part B on time, because if you are uninsured for 12 months or more, your Medicare monthly premiums will be higher. You can learn more about Medicare in the "Medicare & You" online handbook here.

Senior Fun Fest

The Senior Connections and Mature Lifestyles magazines will be presenting a Senior Fun Fest on Tuesday, March 27th at the St. Petersburg Coliseum from 10am - 3:00pm. Admission and parking are free. The event will feature:

• Free Health Screenings
• Live Music
• Grandkids are the Greatest Photo Contest (call 1-888-670-0040 for details).
• Senior-Friendly Sports Center
• free bingo and giveaways

             St. Petersburg Coliseum
             535 Fourth Avenue North
             St. Petersburg, FL 33701
             1-888-670-0040

New Alzheimer's Report

The Alzheimer's Association has recently published "2012 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures", a report with the latest statistics about Alzheimer's Disease in the United States. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Here are some quick facts from this report:

• 1 in 8 older Americans has Alzheimer's Disease
• 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's Disease
• $200 Billion - is the predicted cost for caring for people with Alzheimer's in 2012
• It is predicted that 16 million people will have this disease by 2050.

 You can read the entire report here.


The Alzheimer's Association also provides information for each state. The Florida statistics include:

• 450,000 Floridians had Alzheimer's Disease in 2010
• There were over one billion hours of unpaid care by caregivers for Alzheimer's patients in Florida in 2011
• There were 4,743 deaths due to Alzheimer's in Florida in 2008

You can click here for more Florida statistics.

The AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program

The AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program is helping win back opportunity for low-income, 50+ women by funding education, training, and skills upgrades that can lead to better employment and increased financial security for women and their families. Since 2007, The AARP Foundation Women's Scholarship Program has awarded scholarships to more than 800 eligible women — helping them to enter programs they could otherwise not afford.


The scholarship program is made possible by AARP Foundation with generous support from Walmart Foundation and AARP.


The scholarship application period for the 2012-2013 academic year will last from Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 9 a.m. CST until Friday March 30, 2012, at 5 p.m. CDT.      
   
For more information and to apply, click here. 

Florida Strawberry Festival

 Our Central Florida fair season continues with the 2012 Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City!  The Strawberry Festival offers midway rides, live entertainment, and, of course, strawberries for sale in bulk and as tasty treats. Gate admission prices are $10 for adults. Discounted tickets are available at area Sweetbay Supermarkets - adult tickets are $8.

Florida Strawberry Festival

 March 1-11

Open 10:00am - 10:00pm

303 North Lemon St.   

Plant City, FL 33563-4706 

Telephone: (813) 752-9194

For more information, including a complete concert schedule, directions to the festival grounds, and to purchase concert tickets, visit the Strawberry Festival's website at http://www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

New Census Report about the 90+ Population

The U. S. Census Bureau has released a study called "90+ in the United States: 2006-2008", which was based on information from the American Community Survey. This report stated that the proportion of the population aged 90 and over has been increasing and that the oldest segments of the older population are growing the fastest. This increase in the ninety plus population is due to increased life expectancy. In 1931, life expectancy at age 65 was 12.2 years, but by 2006, it had increased to 18.5 years. Some of the highlights of the study include:

• California is the state with the highest population of 90+, with Florida coming in second.
• Most 90+ are high school graduates or beyond.
• Social Security represents almost half of total personal income for the 90+.
• The poverty rate for this age group is 14.5%.
• 37.3% live alone

You can access the full report here.

The Jan/Feb Issue of the Elder Update is available

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bimonthly newsletter, the "Elder Update", for Florida Seniors. The current issue includes articles about:

•  Ambassadors for Aging Day
• diseases related to Agent Orange exposure (Veterans' Affairs)
• 2012 Florida Veterans' Benefit Guide
• Diabetes
• Florida's Intergenerational Week
• information about how to find available benefits

You can download the current issue here. Alternatively, you can sign up for a print subscription here.