Greene County Council on Aging - November 2020 INsights

It has been quite easy, as well as emotionally draining to talk about all that we have given up, not been able to do, and lost during this pandemic. But for every negative there has also been one if not many positives that we can point to and be thankful for over these many months.

Seniors, caregivers, providers, and community partners have shared countless stories of doing what they can to remain positive and to keep being as productive as possible. Even when the story starts with sadness or a challenge, more often than not, it is followed by a bright spot, a happy moment, or a wonderful outcome.

We invite you to take a few minutes out of every day to focus on something or someone positive in your life. This may be something or someone very close to you or it could be something or someone you know about through any number of connections. A few examples from your Council include: a community member who has been personally touched by COVID donated, for the second time, beautiful handmade masks to share with area seniors and caregivers; two friends of an area senior who is struggling and has no family in the area take turns driving him to appointments and to the store; a very busy mom of school age children offers to help with picking up and delivering groceries to isolated seniors in her general area. 

The most frequent is the senior who sends in a note of thanks for a simple but meaningful check-in call or card they received from a Council team member.

The real-life examples could go on for pages, but just these few illustrate there is much to be thankful for within our Greene County sphere and well beyond. There are so many good people doing great things for family, neighbors, friends, and strangers. This caring and sharing makes a true difference in all of our lives and is indeed worthy of our appreciation and thanks.

This difficult time has also given us the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. Instead of turning to how we have always done things, our efforts start with what we are trying to accomplish and then figuring out how to make it happen. This process sure makes for a more enjoyable experience as opposed to dwelling on what we cannot do. Yes, ‘we will get through this together,’ but we cannot spend all of our time just waiting and planning for after COVID. We need to live each day to the fullest and be thankful for each day that we have.

A report published earlier this year estimates that 41.8 million family members and other unpaid adults across the United States are caring for loved ones who are 50 years of age and older. This report, Caregiving in the U.S. 2020, includes findings from an online survey conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP. A similar survey has been conducted four other times since 1997.

These caregivers provide various types of care and support, all of which is critical to the health and well being of the senior or seniors in their care. The majority of caregivers were caring for parents or in-laws, spouses or partners, and grandparents. There was an increase in the number of caregivers caring for multiple seniors as well as an increase in the number needing more care.  

Many of the findings from this study mirror our experience in Greene County. It is also a clear reminder of the importance of providing care and support to caregivers. They have added significant responsibilities to their daily lives, modified their schedules and lives to care for their loved one, and for some, neglected their own health in order to do what is needed for their loved one. We honor all caregivers, this month and every month. And we encourage you to reach out to the Council to allow us to be of support to you!

Thank you to those who came out for the Drive-By Shredding Event on October 24th. It was a bit chilly, but the sun peeked out once in a while to greet the more than 150 people who brought their papers to shred! 

As the heading states, We Filled the Truck! Our partners at Shred-It were tremendous to work with and we surprised them by maxing out the truck. We had just shy of 36 large bins of personal papers that were processed through the impressive shredder. Council team members and volunteers assisted in taking bags, boxes and totes of papers from car seats, trunks and truck beds. We had a good work out, but more importantly, we were able to bring some peace of mind to those wanting and needing to get these papers out of their homes and properly destroyed.  

It was wonderful to see so many eyes and foreheads that we have not seen for a while and those we were seeing for the first time. We appreciate your support of the event and your patience as you waited in line. The Drive-By Shredding Event was an undeniable success and we are planning for another Shredding Event in the Spring! 

A recent survey by Bankrate.com, covering financial lessons of the pandemic, highlighted the need to have a financial lifeline for emergencies. Americans said their biggest money mistake during the pandemic has been not having readily available funds to use in an emergency. Our personal circumstances will dictate how much to have in an emergency fund. 

Calculate your basic living expenses each month (housing, food, utilities, car expenses, insurance, health care, other) and then calculate what portion of this total expense will need to be covered by your retirement savings (i.e., expenses not covered by social security and pension income). 

Once you have a monthly required spending amount, decide how many months of coverage your emergency fund should cover. If you are retired, or nearing retirement, financial experts often suggest you plan for both emergencies and for volatility in the value of your retirement nest egg. 

You don’t want to be forced to sell investments during a down market just to pay for day-to-day living expenses. A much better strategy is to have a bucket of money (liquid assets) set aside to cover these day-to-day living expenses. 

The question then becomes “how much money should you have in your emergency fund bucket?” Covering 18 to 36 months’ worth of expenses in your emergency fund will give you extra security and flexibility during down financial markets. 

Because this emergency fund is designed to cover current expenses, you need to make sure this money is immediately accessible. That means keeping the money in a savings or money market account. Don’t be tempted to put this money into CDs or mutual funds to earn a better return, only to potentially be penalized when you need to access the money in an emergency. Fill your emergency fund bucket and sleep better at night.

We are still planning for the December 4th Holiday Soirée from 11am to 6pm and we hope that we will see you there! 

Our enchanted winter wonderland will be set up in the XCC gym where our guests will enjoy an experience like no other.

The On-line Soirée Shoppe will go live on November 30th. It will include this year’s quilt raffle, a nice selection of handcrafted items, and homemade treats for those unable to join us on the 4th or not able to wait to start their shopping. 

The Holiday Soirée flyer will be added to our website and Facebook Page on November 9th and it can also be requested by contacting the Council at 937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please mark your calendar and we will see you on the 4th!

In Memory Of:   
Paul C. Brown, former GCCOA Board Member
Judy Swart

In Appreciation Of:
GCCOA Team

Donors:
Buckeye Home Health
Dynamic Senior Solutions
Trinity Community
Village at the Greene
WBZI Real Roots Radio

Thank You To Our October Volunteers:
Bellbrook Boy Scouts
Cathy Brown
Debbie Halliday
Barb Hawk
David Peterson
Matthew Bennett

Medicare 101 ~ November 4th, 5:30pm to 7pm
Xenia Community Center
Space is Limited and Reservations are Required

Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease ~ November 11, 2:30-4:30pm
Xenia Community Center
Space is Limited and Reservations are Required

Medicare Open Enrollment ~ October 15th through December 7th

Weekly Programming with our Partners at Real Roots Radio, WBZI FM 100.3:
Wednesdays around 12:05pm ~ Boomers and Beyond
Thursdays soon after 6:00pm ~ Partners in Caregiving

In-person and online Caregiver & Kinship Support Groups
Contact us at 937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Questions or to request grab bars, masks or other services
Contact us at 937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Regular Updates and Information on the Council’s Facebook Page and website

Please continue to be on alert regarding the various COVID-19 scams. 
For more COVID-19 information, please go to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/