Welcome to Nancy’s Bulletin Board!  This Board connects us in real time with updates on events, activities, community resources and with your feedback.

At the bottom of the page please leave a positive comment, story, joke, pun, riddle or timely community news to post on the board.  Resident art and photography has a place to be shared on this website’s “Show and Tell” board.  Please email me your contribution at general_activity@scaclw.com and confirm that you want it published here.

To make a reservation on the calendar please email me at general_activity@scaclw.com or leave me a voicemail at 727-799-2734 with the type of event that you are planning and for whom, preferred date and room.  I will review the calendar for availability.  Once we confirm a reservation, I will direct you to complete the online Facility Request form or you may stop in the Community Service Office to pick up a paper Facility Request form to complete and submit in that office where I have a mail box.

If you are a new resident and have questions, please attend our Good Neighbor’s “Get Acquainted & Coffee” on the second Thursday of each month 8:30 – 11:00 at the East Activity Center Auditorium.  I will be available after the event at 11 am to answer your questions and or take you on a tour of the Activity Centers. A meeting by appointment in my office is also an option.  Email me at general_activity@scaclw.com or give me a call at 799-2734.  

Food Truck Night Wed. 2/8, 3 – 7 pm

 

Introducing:  Seasoned Greens (Vegan Food Truck featuring Jamaican, Carribean style cuisine)

Stevie D’s Philly Cheese Steaks

Charm City Seafood

Sea Dog Cantina

BBQ Queen

Skoops

 

OTOW Farmer’s Market

 

The Farmers Market runs through April 2023, 10 – 5 at the East Activity Center S.E. parking lot off of World Parkway.  See this bulletin board or my newspaper column for the monthly schedule.

January Farmer’s Market Schedule:  Wednesday:  Feb 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Notice to All OTOW Clubs & Activity Coordinators

Please submit your online Facility Request Dec. 1-15 to renew your room reservations for January through April.
To complete an online Facility Requestform visit: www.otowclearwaterinfo.com and click on “Community Activities” and “Forms.” Then select the SCA Online Facility Request form, complete and sign the form with your mouse or finger, and click submit. I will acknowledge receipt in an email. (Works better if you use Google Chrome as
your browser).  Paper forms are still available and can be picked up and dropped off in the Community Service Office where I have a mailbox.  Please complete the form outside of that busy office and then drop it off. I will acknowledge receipt in an email or phone call.

 

Keeping Your Balance

(note: Jan is a resident of On Top of the World and writes for “Lifestyles After 50″ magazine.  She recently received an award for Profile from NAMPA (North America Mature Publishers Association)

By Jan Larraine Cox

We’ve all lost our balance at one time or another…usually not with catastrophic results.  But maybe with an injury that slowed us down at an inconvenient time.  Why not learn to maintain balance and continue on with life’s agenda as planned?

The National Council on Aging reports that one quarter of Americans over 65 fall each year.  This is connected to both aging and the lack of physical activity, which leads to more weakness and brittle bones.

Balance keeps our weight distributed in such a way that we can stay upright, whether standing or moving, thanks to strong muscles and bones enabling us to maintain a center of gravity.

But age-related muscle loss begins in one’s 40’s and continues until in our 70’s, we’ve lost half of muscle mass, unless we fight the process, with resistance or strength training, for example. 

Our legs need to carry us while we walk and stand, and be strong enough to climb stairs, resisting gravity.  Maintain balance!  We don’t want to topple over.

With a physical therapist, find exercises that increase strength and mobility while preventing a fall.   Remember to warm up, with motions like the following: marching in place; shoulder rolls; arm swings.                                                                  

Your balance system aids in changing position from sitting to standing.  And good balance keeps you cognizant of the position of your head in relation to the ground.

Your brain coordinates sensory information retrieved from your eyes, inner ear, the bottoms of your feet, and joints in the ankles, knees and neck.  Then the brain delivers a signal to muscles throughout the body and how best to react while maintaining position.

All this information lets you know how you are oriented in space and the speed and direction of your motion.

This past June, I was rushing on a restaurant’s bumpy and wet patio floor, and although I did see the orange and white cone placed there, I tripped on the uneven surface and did end up spending months recovering.   Maybe I can help you prevent the same sequence of events through my unfortunate learning experience.

So, how do we keep ourselves balanced all day as we move around from sitting to standing positions?

Your body has a system of balance:

First, your eyes record the body’s position and surroundings.  When light hits the photosensitive cells of your retina, it generates electrical impulses that are communicated to the brain through the optic nerve.  Your brain interprets these signals as images which then tell you how fast you’re moving relative to someone walking beside you, for example.

Second, millions of nerve cells called neurons, are located in your skin, muscles and joints.  When they are stimulated, they send electrical impulses to your brain about what your body is doing.  Especially important is information about which way your head is turned and how steady your ankles are on the ground.

Finally, your vestibular labyrinth is your primary balance organ and it is in your inner ear.  We may not be aware of it, but the brain relies on its input for balance, especially when information from the eyes, joints or bottoms of your feet is disrupted in some way.

In conclusion, in order to maintain your balance throughout the day, at least two of the three—eyes, musculoskeletal nerves and vestibular labyrinth—must be working well to prevent dizziness and a fall!

Balance 2.0 by Amanda Sterczyk, Kindle Direct Publishing, 2020.

Mayo Clinic: on Better Hearing and Balance, Wayne Olsen, PhD, Medical Editor-in-Chief, Mayo Clinic Health Solutions, 2008.

Area on Aging Agency S.H.I.N.E.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a Free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco & Pinellas. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and Health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information.

SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential

SHINE Counselors can be reached by calling 1-800-963-5337 or 727-217-8111.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a Free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco & Pinellas. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and Health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information.

FEBRUARY ZOOM MEETINGS 

You are able to change your Medicare Advantage Plan between January 1^st & March 31^st. Learn about plans now via Zoom.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a Free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco & Pinellas. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and Health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. 

SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential.

SHINE Counselors can be reached by calling 1-800-963-5337 or 727-217-8111.

• Saturday Morning Medicare Basics with SHINE Zoom meeting on February 4^th at 10:00 am 

(Provides an overview of the different parts of Medicare including Parts A, B, C, D, Medigap, and available financial assistance)

When: Feb 4, 2023 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuce6uqzkqHN0WVZuVAzyePb8RYpyOPKn4

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Basics with SHINE Zoom meeting Wednesday, February 8^th at 10:00 am 

(Provides an overview of the different parts of Medicare including Parts A, B, C, D, Medigap, and available financial assistance)

When: Feb 8, 2023 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvcuihrDIvHdPZl-4gi3kF2Wj-OVEQ0kEx

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Part C Advantage Plans with SHINE Zoom Wednesday, February 8^th at 12:00 pm-Lunch & Learn

(Provides an overview of Medicare Advantage Plan options available in Florida).

When: Feb 8, 2023 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpd-ippz0uGtKH4P_7TUQStNW5RO2Z12BE

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Financial Assistance with SHINE via Zoom Wednesday, February 15^th at 10:00 am

(Designed to provide an overview of Medicare options and how SHINE can help)

When: Feb 15, 2023 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqf-Gspz4rGNOsACX4xteaPBvZTVMozpeY

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Part C Advantage Plans with SHINE Zoom meeting Wednesday, February 15^th at 12:00 pm-Lunch & Learn

(Provides an overview of Medicare Advantage Plan options available in Florida).

When: Feb 15, 2023 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsdu-rpzwsH9Yb_m1ptYPSfdodPzDefna8

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Fraud Presentation with SHINE via Zoom Monday, February 20th, at 12:00 pm

(Learn how to Detect, Protect, and Report Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse

When: Feb 20, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwkdeyhrjMuHtaeijfs6U9kDBpJdxu8EKOh

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

• Medicare Long Term Care with SHINE meeting Wednesday, February 22^nd at 10:00 am

(This presentation gives an overview of some of the issues regarding Long-Term Care Planning in Florida.)

When: Feb 22, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuf-qgqzMrH9DPDghc2CskjYJ9bIT_Iiv8

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

• Medicare Part D Drug Plan with SHINE Zoom meeting Wednesday, February 22^nd at 12:00 pm-Lunch & Learn

(Provides an overview of Part D Drug plan options available in Florida).

When: Feb 22, 2023 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuc–rpjIoGNTWBUlpJ5JitGYcpaE803Cd

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY?

HURRICANE TIPS

1. Purchase a battery-operated radio and a supply of batteries.
2. Purchase flashlights with batteries. Use caution when using candles.
3. Get an ice chest. Stock up on a week’s worth of water, food that won’t spoil, pet supplies, toilet paper, purchase a battery-operated fan.
4. Refill medical prescriptions.
5. Go to an ATM or bank and get cash.
6. Fill your vehicle with gas. Fill a lawn mower container with gas.
7. Do you need a generator? Never operate a generator indoors.
8. Recharge cell phone batteries and use only when necessary.
9. If you are evacuating, tell people where you are evacuating to and leave you contact information.
10. Bring lawn furniture and outdoor decorations indoors.
11. Sign up for the RAVE alert system from OTOW.
12. Community updates will be posted on otowclearwaterinfo.com,

OTOW-TV Channel 732 and the Box Office (otowboxoffice.com).

12. Make sure you have a first-aid kit, including bandages, ointments.
13. Make sure important documents are safely stored.
14. Don’t forget rain gear, blankets and home entertainment.

Don’t panic, but you may not have internet service for days.

WHEN A STORM HAS PASSED

1. Do not go outside and begin cleanup on your own. Let OTOW

employees remove limbs and all damage. There could be wires down.

1. Traffic lights may be out. Stop at all intersections.