A Time for Seniors: Friendly visitors provide a pal for seniors

Dear Candace: My father's friend is involved with a program where another man goes to his house, I think on a weekly basis, and they chat, go for a walk, sometimes out to lunch, basically whatever they want to do. Do you know of such a program? - Rhonda Dear Rhonda: It sounds to me like you are referring to The Friendly Visitor Program, so I spoke with the program manager, Betty Powell, for more information. Here is what she has to say about the program:The Friendly Visitor Program is a free service to homebound seniors. The program was created to decrease loneliness and isolation of homebound older adults in Placer County.Friendly Visitors are screened, trained, and then matched with appropriate participants based on geography, need and shared interests.You may have a visitor if you are 60 years of age or older, are a resident of Placer County, are housebound and would enjoy some companionship.You can be a Friendly Visitor volunteer if you have an hour a week, are 21 years of age or older, love seniors, have a kind heart and a friendly smile.This program is currently in need of a few good men to volunteer. There are several homebound senior men who would love to swap stories, play cards or games, go on outings or out to lunch. They are just waiting for the right man to volunteer a little time to visit with them. Wouldn't you like to help ... and be somebody's hero!Please call Betty Powell, Friendly Visitor Program Manager at (530) 889-9500 ext. 219 or e-mail her at bettypowell@foothill.net.Dear Candace: With fall just around the corner, this is the time of year when I start to think about things like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is also the time of year when I start to think about tax planning and what I need to get done by the end of the year. I think most people understand the concept of sending in a check now and then to a nonprofit service provider to say "thanks for the work you do" and most of us make charitable donations to support those services we believe make a difference in our community. Although a lot of folks like to support nonprofit services geared toward children because they say "they are our future," and that's all well and good, but I like to support senior service organizations because they are our past. We have them to thank for pretty much everything we have and are today. So if my donation can help out just one senior in need, I want to be there for them ... just like they were there for me, even though I never had to ask I applaud you for what you do. Keep up the good work! - Joan J.Dear Joan: What a great letter! Thank you so much and we at Seniors First applaud you for your dedication to our senior citizens.This is the time of year when we start to get calls and letters regarding end-of-the-year charitable giving, so I want to share some information with you about charitable giving and encourage you to sit down with your financial adviser to discuss this powerful tool.For most of us, our charitable income tax deductions are one of the few tax planning opportunities completely within our control. The amount, timing and form of our gift is entirely up to each of us individually.By carefully planning our charitable gifts - and ordinarily completing them by Dec. 31 - we oft times enjoy the satisfaction of giving while increasing our tax refund or reducing the taxes we would otherwise owe next April.There are numerous ways to give and I would like to share some of them with you, however, please remember to consult with your financial adviser in order to determine which option will benefit both you and your gift recipient the most.Charitable gifts are most often made in the form of cash and checks and these gifts may be designated to be used toward a specific program or to be used at the discretion of the organization. It is imperative that you maintain receipts, acknowledgements, bank records, etc. Making gifts of stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds can bring extra tax savings. This year, if you are over the age of 70 and six months, it is possible to make tax-free charitable gifts directly from your IRA. You may own real estate or certain other properties that could also be good choices for charitable gifts. Balances remaining in retirement plan accounts can be subject to both income and estate taxes, relatively little of these funds may be left for heirs, making this another good consideration for charitable giving. Last but not least, life insurance policies can make excellent charitable gifts as they may be a convenient way to provide a gift through your estate.Dear Candace: I have recently moved back to town to try to help my aging parents, but I have to tell you, I'm totally lost! I don't know what services exist, how to locate them, what they are or even who to talk to. I don't understand a thing about their Medicare Insurance, let alone the Part A, Part B, Part D, Part whatever! This stuff is nuts!!! Please tell me, where do I start and who can help me? - John T.Dear John: Whomever said "Aging is not for sissys" knew what they were talking about! There is a lot to know but as long as you have the phone number to Seniors First, you're covered - they're who you call. Not only do they provide many of the senior services you may be seeking but their SeniorLink program is Placer County Senior Information & Assistance. That means you can ask them anything about any service anywhere in Placer County and they'll be able to assist you. You can even call them when you don't know what service you need!I'll give you an example. If you called Seniors First saying pretty much what you wrote, they might tell you about a class being held at Sierra College on Oct. 27 called "Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Aging Parents" (personally, I call this class Navigating the Maze of Senior Services) which I normally teach, however, this class Brenda Cathey is graciously filling in for me. This is a class that aims to give you a three-hour crash course in senior services. We talk about Medicare, adult day care, dementia, driving, transportation options, in-home supportive services, hiring caregivers, hiring caregivers privately versus hiring a caregiver agency, hospice, skilled nursing, out-of-home living options, etc. This may be something you want to look into.Additionally, if you want to focus primarily on Medicare there are some really good learning options available to you in the community. There is a series of presentations coming up called "Understanding Medicare." This is a free, informational presentation and they invite "all ages," so not only can you attend, but you can bring your parents! There are several presentation dates that I know of spanning from Oct. 12 through Nov. 16. I would suggest you contact Bruce Huck at (530) 906-4609 for times and locations and/or more information on this series.Also, don't forget good old Placer School for Adults. They have three classes in their latest schedule called "Understanding Medicare and Medicare Supplement Plans," which states, "This class will dispel the mystery and confusion by providing information on what is and what is not covered by Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. You will also learn about the role of Supplemental Insurance Plans. ..." You may register for Placer School for Adults by calling (530) 885-8585 or online at www.placeronline.org.Candace Roeder the executive director of Seniors First, a nonprofit senior services agency serving Placer County. She is also the host of "A Time for seniors," the live radio broadcast, aired on KAHI 950 AM from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Mondays. Mail your senior-related questions to: A Time For Seniors, c/o Seniors First, 11566 D St., Auburn, CA, 95603, e-mail them to candace@seniorsfirst.org or call (530) 889-9500 ext. 203.