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HomeMy Public PortalAboutJanuary 20211673 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631 • (508) 896-2737 • Fax (508) 896-7587 Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday Denise Rego, Director Andrea Nevins, COA Board Co-Chair Marilyn Dearborn, FOBE President Sharon Tennstedt, COA Board Co-Chair January 2021 MISSION STATEMENT: To support and advocate for older adults and their families by providing programs, services and resources that promote independent living and quality of life. HAPPY NEW YEAR! A New Year means a New Beginning! In preparation for the New Year we must look back, but also plan ahead. It’s a time to reflect on the past year with all we did and all we couldn’t do. It’s a time to make changes, such as exercising, volunteering, connecting with our spiritual side and helping whenever possible. To try to put a positive spin on 2020, I think many of us were more generous and kind to others, helping in any way we could to comfort those in need. Also, I think many of us reflected on our lives and possibly made positive changes for our mental, physical and spiritual well-being. All in all, with the hopes of a vaccine on the horizon, we are hopeful that 2021 will feel more normal in our everyday lives. We thought it would be good to recap what we did in 2020. When the COA building closed to the public, our large front room became our ‘food pantry’. With the help of Brewster Market and Lower Cape Outreach, we were able to stock it so that over 125 individuals were able to obtain groceries. Our Meals on Wheels program never stopped. They switched to ’no-contact’ delivery and continue to average 600 meals per month! Nauset High School offered us an opportunity to add Brewster seniors to their Hot Lunch Delivery program. With the help of the Brewster Recreation Dept. and COA staff we were able to deliver 1493 meals to folks from late March until the end of August. Our Healthy Meals in Motion monthly program kept going as well. It was switched to ‘curbside’ and currently serves over 60 people. The COA also assisted with medication pick-up for homebound individuals. We kept our medical shed open for folks from all over the Cape to borrow equip- ment, free of charge, for as long as they needed it. In September, the COA was able to start doing ‘Curbside Events’. Our ‘Ice Cream Fridays’ served over 77 individuals ice cream treats! In October, 27 folks participated in our ‘Fall in for a Treat’ event. November saw us distributing 96 individual turkey potpies. It is important to pause here, to say a huge THANK YOU to those of you who dropped off monetary donations while picking up your pies. Your donations were used to purchase grocery store gift cards for folks in our community who need extra help purchasing food. The COA collected $450.00 that day. You are all so generous and we’re proud to be a part of such a caring, kind community! As of this writing, our Annual Medicare Open Enrollment SHINE appointments have just ended. The pandemic limited the appointments to phone calls this year but our wonderful SHINE counselors still served several hundred individuals and saved many people a lot of money. We’ll have those statistics for you next month! While the pandemic may have closed our building for the time being, it didn’t stop us from continuing to serve you. As we enter 2021, it is our hope that we will once again be welcoming you in-person under our roof! Meanwhile, we will continue to be here for you and send you our best wishes for a bright, happy and hopeful NEW YEAR! Sincerely, Denise Rego, Director and the Staff of the Brewster COA January Holiday Closings While our building remains closed to the public, our staff is still available on weekdays, 8:00am to 4:00pm, by calling 508-896-2737. We are not available on the following holidays: Friday, January 1: New Year’s Day Monday, January 18: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Programming Update While our building remains closed, some of our services are available to you in your home or over the telephone. ● Pedicare: call Janet Tinney at 508-776-3092 ● Massage: call Sandra Smith at 508-237¬0458 ● Hearing Screening: call Advanced Audiology Associates, Inc. at 508-385-5222 ● Legal Help: call Attorney Raymond Yox at 508-775-7020 X2011 or Attorney Adam Dupuy at 508-775-3433 ● Mobile Dental Hygiene: call them at 508-827-6725 for updated location and availability ● Pet Grooming: please text (preferred) or call Karen Duble of Buttons & Bows at 508 -360-2596 Note: the next drop -in date at the COA will be Thursday, January 21, from 8:00am to 8:30am in the back parking lot. The cost is $3.00 per nail trim for senior (60+) pet-owners. ● Computer Help: contact the COA at 508-896-2737 and we will forward your name and contact information to Del Borah, our Computer Help instructor, who will then help you via phone.  Medical Equipment: if you are looking for medical equipment, please contact the COA at 508-896-2737 and tell us what you are looking for. We’ll see if we have it and get back to you with instructions on how you can pick it up.  Senior Shellfish License: though we cannot process your license in person, you can mail us a copy of your Driver’s license (showing that you are at least 70 years of age), a copy of your latest Brewster tax bill, and a check for $5.oo payable to “Brewster COA”. Be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so that we can mail your new shellfish license and your documents back to you. Please send your check and paperwork to: Brewster COA, 1673 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631 You may also use our drop-box at the COA, located at the bottom of the ramp behind our building.  Our Brewster PC User Group has a Zoom meeting every other Thursday at 1:00pm. If you wish to participate please notify the instructor, Pete Scheffer, via email at: prs288@gmail.com Pete will be happy to include you in the group and will send you an invitation. Page 2 Brewster, MA January 2021 Brewster COA’s Inclement Weather Policy If the Nauset Public Schools are closed, all curbside programs and COA medical transportation are canceled. If the Brewster Town Hall is closed, the Brewster COA will also be closed. Snow Season Reminder If you haven’t already done so, make sure to secure a person to snowplow your driveway and/or shovel your walks now! The COA gets many calls asking us to recommend someone but, legally, we are not allowed to do that. Therefore, call your carpenter, landscaper, ask your neighbor who they use. Maybe they are willing to help do the job for you at an agreed upon price. Planning ahead will secure your com- fort and safety in your own home, which will make for a happier winter season! Also, with snow season already upon us, we want to remind you to be wary of icy walkways as well as roadways. If you get services from Visiting Nurses, Elder Services, Meals on Wheels, COA Outreach, or are using our Medical Ride program, those individuals must have safe access to your home. Make arrangements to have your driveway plowed and your walks shoveled throughout the winter season, and make sure they’re cleared before any driver comes to pick you up. We want everyone to stay safe this winter! Thank you for your understanding. Page 3 Brewster, MA January 2021 Winter Storm Preparation Winter storms in Brewster can range from gentle rains to icy rain and sleet, moderate snowfalls, and severe blizzard conditions with fierce winds blowing wet snow. Storm conditions can change during the duration of the storm, and some storms – or their impacts - can last for days. Winter storm-related deaths include automobile accidents, heart attacks from overexertion, carbon monoxide incidents, and freezing to death. While storms vary in type, intensity, duration and impact, there are basic things you can do to help improve your comfort and minimize the dangers a storm can bring. Keep yourself, your loved ones, and your pets safe by preparing your home and car for storms. Brewster’s Emergency Preparedness Handbook shows that we typically have high-risk seasonal storms from June through March. Many of the steps you can take to help prepare for a winter storm will help you through other storms throughout the year, and other types of emergencies, too. Start simple. The most important thing is to start. Your preparation does not need to be complicated, cost a lot of money or be ‘perfect’ to be effective. Plan ahead. Think about what you need in order to survive a winter storm for 4 hours. Write your plan on paper. Share your written plan with a trusted neighbor, close family member, and others who can help you during a winter storm. List emergency phone and text numbers in your written plan. Include important phone numbers in large bold print so they can be read if the lighting is poor or if you do not have your glasses handy. These are the numbers that need to be right at your fingertips - not found after lengthy searches through several address and phone books. Text numbers can also be very helpful. Text messages can get through when phone calls do not or when your phone battery is low. Don’t rely on calling 911 for everything. Review and revise. Refer to your written plan before a storm occurs, and revise it afterward with the lessons you learned during the storm. Doing this simple step for each storm will make you better prepared for the next one. Work your plan up to one that would help you to survive for 3 days. As time proceeds, your Storm Preparation Plan can grow into your Family Emergency Plan. Assemble Emergency Kits. Place items such as your written Storm Preparation Plan, non-perishable human and pet food, first aid supplies, flashlight and batteries, hand and foot warmers, extra clothing and blankets in a plastic container or box. Store your kits in places where you can easily access them at any time – such as under your bed and in your car. Many excellent resources are on the internet with more specific details about preparing for storms, writ- ing a Family Emergency Plan, and making your own Emergency Kits. Two sites that are particularly helpful are supported by the American Red Cross at: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at: https://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/prepare-my-family-disaster To view the Brewster Emergency Preparedness Handbook, please visit: http://records.brewster-ma.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=141954&page=1&cr=1 This article was drawn heavily from the Power Outage Safety Tips developed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/power-outage-safety-tips and the Eversource storm preparedness website at: https://www.eversource.com/content/ct-c/residential/ outages/storm-preparedness/before-a-storm Page 4 Brewster, MA January 2021 Go4Life Fitness Program: Was more exercise part of your New Year’s Resolution? The Go4Life fitness program, developed by the National Institute of Aging, features exercises you can do at home to improve strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. We still have FREE CDs that you may pick up and keep for home viewing and exercise. Simply give the COA a call to request one at 508-896-2737. For more information on the Go4Life program visit: www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life Welcome to Stephanie Lattanzio, RN: Our New Public Health and Wellness Nurse! The Brewster COA is pleased to extend a welcome to Stephanie Lattanzio, RN, our new Public Health and Wellness Nurse. Stephanie lives in Mashpee with her husband and son. She has been an RN nearly 10 years with most of that time spent in the hospital setting in cardiac care. She joined the Public Health and Wellness team in November as the Town Public Health Nurse. Her department covers towns from Bourne to Provincetown with the exception of Barnstable and Sandwich. Currently, she is seeing Brewster residents on Mondays. She is also planning on submitting articles for our newsletter in the future. Nice to have you with us, Stephanie! Brewster COA Programming Online! Imagine sitting on the banks of the Seine sipping a delightful Chardonnay and thinking, “I wish I could watch a Brewster COA program right now”. Well you can and here’s how! 1) Go to: Town of Brewster, MA 2) On the main page to the right is a white box with blue lettering 3) Click on: Government Channel 18 4) Scroll down to the second to last sentence on the page written in blue lettering that reads: Click here to view selected shows in High Definition or Vimeo 5) Click on that and find all the varied programs offered Senior Fitness Hour A new “Senior Fitness Hour” is premiering on Channel 99 of Lower Cape Community Access TV for older adults in the communities of Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro. This program is the result of a collaborative effort between Lower Cape TV and the Councils on Aging in these communities. We know the pandemic has created an extended period of isolation which has been hard for seniors, and everyone is desperately missing their routines. This collaboration was an opportunity for us to work together regionally while leveraging resources to make sure all older adults could access opportunities to focus on their health and well-being from the safety of their homes. Every weekday there will be fitness classes featuring instructors from various senior centers. From 10-10:30am, there will be regular senior fitness classes, and from 10:30-11am there will be chair fitness classes. See below for the schedule: 10-10:30am: Regular Senior Fitness 10:30-11am: Chair Fitness M Frank’s Funky Fitness M,W,F Life Exercises with Janet Tue, Th Morning Fitness with Becky Tue Chair Fitness with Melissa W Fitness with Melissa Th Sit Fitness with Becky F Gentle Yoga with Debra Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, or know of someone who is, Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod, located right here in Brewster, is still operating on a daily basis and has even moved their support groups to online. If you need any help, please give them a call at 508-896-5170. Page 6 January 2021 Brewster, MA Upcoming January Programs The COA offers various classes, presentations and other programming on Channel 18, the Town website, and the COA website. A description of current January programming is below, and the Channel 18 schedule is on the next page. Presentations For Your Health: Eat Well, Stay Well Presented by Kim Concra, LDN Extension Educator for Nutrition and Food Safety with the Barnstable County Cooperative Extension The mission of the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension is to improve the health and well-being of youth, families and the community. To eat well and stay well one should use the power of nutri- tious food to strengthen the immune system. Kim will share various tools and tips to make simple and nutritious food. If I Live to be 100 Where Will I Live Series: Home Safety and Modification Presented by Dave Karas Certified Aging in Place Specialist Along with good health and economic security, planning for appropriate housing that meets one’s needs over time is essential, and should not wait for a health crisis to begin. Evaluate your home’s suitability for “aging in place” and learn from a Certified Aging in Place specialist a number of free and affordable modifications that can make your home safer and age-ready. Valuable resources will be shared for making wise and informed decisions for the best safety and home modification solutions. The Real ID Presented by Michele Ellicks, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor vehicles This program will answer several questions regarding the Real ID, such as the difference between a "Standard ID" and "REAL ID" Driver's license or ID card, how to renew a Massachusetts Driver's License or ID Card, and what the new federal and state requirements are for renewing a Driver's License or ID Card. Shifting Gears: Safe Driving for Seniors Presented by Michele Ellicks, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Driver safety is an important issue for older adults. The changes of normal aging can sometimes interfere with the ability to drive. By understanding and reducing these risk factors, older adults might be able to drive safely longer. Michele Ellicks will present an informative program that focuses on issues facing mature drivers. Topics will include, but not be limited to, medications and their effects on driving, recent research concerning older drivers, details on the safe driver laws and the requirements necessary to apply for a disability placard or plate. SPECIAL CONCERT! “Pete Seeger to Peter, Paul and Mary: Songs from the '60s Folk Music Revival!” with singer, yodeler, multi-instrumentalist, Roger Tincknell Broadcast on Lower Cape TV Channel 99 Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 5pm Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 5pm Since we can’t have you here with us, your local Councils on Aging are working together to bring more programs to you! This program includes many of the memorable traditional, original and topical folk songs from the vibrant American folk music scene that extended from the late 1950s throughout the 1960s. Song styles ranging from traditional English ballads to international folk, classic American folksongs to original topical, protest and love songs are included. Songs by well- known folksingers such as Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, The Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Odetta, Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, Harry Belafonte, Phil Ochs, Donovan and others may be heard. The concert will be run on Lower Cape TV’s Channel 99 two times in January and it will not be put online. Lower Cape TV serves the communities of Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro. Page 7 Brewster, MA January 2021 Looking for something fun to do? Some of our instructors have been holding their classes via Zoom or YouTube.  If you would like to join Tai Chi classes, please contact our instructor, A.Jay Zahn, at: capecodtaichisociety@gmail.com  If you would like to join Meditation, please contact Carol Marcy at: drcarolmarcy@gmail.com January 2021: COA Programming on Channel 18 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 7pm – Book TV 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3pm – Winter Music Series 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 11am – Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 7am – Chair Yoga 11am – The Real ID with Michele Ellicks 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 11am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 7am – Chair Yoga 11am – Eat Well, Stay Well With Kim Concra 7pm – Book TV 3pm – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 3pm – Winter Music Series 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 11 am – Home Modification with Dave Karas 7am – Chair Yoga 11am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 11 am – Shifting Gears with Michele Ellicks 7am – Chair Yoga 11am – Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 7pm – Book TV 3pm – The Real ID with Michele Ellicks 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 3pm – Winter Music Series 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 11am – Eat Well, Stay Well with Kim Concra 7am – Chair Yoga 11 am – Home Modification with Dave Karas 7am – Chair Yoga 11am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 7am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 11am – Chair Yoga 7pm – Book TV 3pm – Shifting Gears with Michele Ellicks 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 3pm – Winter Music Series 7am - Chair Yoga 11 am – Funky Fitness Parts 1 & 2 7am - Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 11am - Shifting Gears with Michele Ellicks 7am - Funky Fitness Parts 3 & 4 11 am – Home Modification with Dave Karas 7am - Chair Yoga 11am – Eat Well, Stay Well with Kim Concra 7pm – Book TV 3pm – The Real ID with Michele Ellicks 31 3pm – Winter Music Series Page 9 January 2021 Brewster, MA Disclaimer: The Brewster Senior Center offers many legal, financial, recreational, medical screening or other services and/or activities by volunteer or nominal-cost practitioners. Seniors participating in these services do so with the understanding that the Brewster Council on Aging, The Brewster Senior Center, the Town of Brewster, Friends of Brewster Elders (aka FOBE) or its employees or agents DO NOT ASSUME ANY LEGAL RESPONSI- BILITY FOR ANY ADVICE OR SERVICES RENDERED BY SUCH VOLUNTEER OR NOMINAL COST PRACTITIONER. Any act, advice, or service by outside providers at the Council on Aging SHOULD NOT BE PRESUMED TO BE ENDORSED OR SPONSORED BY THE BCOA. Need some help with food or prescriptions? Meals on Wheels Meals on Wheels delivers meals to people aged 60 and over who are homebound and unable to prepare their own meals. For more information call Elder Services, Information and Referral at 508-394-4630 or 1-800-244-4630. If you are already a client and need to reach our Nutrition Site, please contact Maria at 508-896-5070. Curbside Pickup The Brewster COA is offering curbside pickup for those who are unable to drive on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the following markets and Pharmacies (we ask for at least 2 business days’ notice): Brewster Village Marketplace 1760 Main Street, Brewster 508-896-2905 Ferretti’s Market 501 Underpass Road, Brewster 508-896-8919 CVS Skaket Corners 9 West Road, Orleans 508-255-0570 Walgreens* 130 Rt. 6A, Orleans 508-255-5931 (Please note, Walgreens has a $30.00 minimum order for free curbside pickups) Once you have placed and paid for your order, please inform the business that the Brewster COA will be there to pick it up for you on either a Tuesday or Thursday (must be ready on those days). Next, just give us a call at 508-896-2737. We’ll pick it up and deliver it directly to your home. Healthy Meals in Motion This popular program serves all eligible Brewster seniors, providing a few bags of groceries, fresh produce and paper products each month. Preorder from a wide selection of food items and your order will be ready for pickup! The next date will be Wednesday, January 13. Please call the COA Outreach Office to enroll at 508-896-2737. Contacting your State Representatives Although the monthly drop-in appointments to speak with your State Rep. Tim Whelan have been placed on hold for now, you can still reach him at the State House at: 617-722-2488. Rep. Sarah Peake can also be reached at the State House at: 617-722-2040 Fuel Assistance Do you need some help with your winter heating bills? You may be eligible for fuel assistance. The Fuel Assistance Program provides low income households with help paying home heating bills during the heating season from November 1 – April 30. Eligibility is determined by gross income of all family members, as well as family size. You may also be eligible for assistance with your electric bill and phone bill. If you are a Brewster resident applying for the first time, or need help with a re-certification application, please call the COA Outreach Office at 508-896-27370 to find out how to proceed. COVID-19: In the past, intake has been done in-person at the COA. This year it may be done differently, depending on the circumstances. You are welcome to either call the COA, or call Fuel Assistance directly at 508-746-6707 or toll-free at 877-833-4243. ‘Brewster Bayside Chatter’ Online: The ‘Brewster Bayside Chatter’ is available online each month and can be found at: https://www.brewster-ma.gov/council-on-aging Scroll down to where it reads: ‘our newsletters are available online’ and click on the link! Or go directly to: http://records.brewster-ma.gov/WebLink/0/fol/75664/Row1.aspx Face Masks Available: If you are in need of a face mask, the COA has a selection of handmade, washable ones available. Just give us a call at 508-896-2737 and we’ll make sure you get one! Help for Pet Owners The Cape Cod Disaster Animal Response Team (CCDART) has been busy during the last few months organizing contact-free pet food pantries for Cape Cod residents. They have also packed pet food supplies for home deliveries and are offering their help. If you need to get pet food and require assistance, please contact the Brewster COA at 508-896-2737. We will contact CCDART who will then work out a plan with you for delivery. Page 10 January 2021 Brewster, MA OUTREACH Notes We have some food resources in place for our seniors in an effort to limit traveling to the grocery store:  The COA still has some stock pantry staples that can be delivered to your door. Please call us at 508-896-2737 to see what we have and when we can deliver it to you.  Participation in the Healthy Meals in Motion Mobile Food Pantry program has increased substantially. This is a free monthly food distribution program in collaboration with the Harwich Family Pantry. Please see the article on page 9 for more information. Outreach staff is also available for information about: • Fuel Assistance • SNAP Assistance • Emergency Buttons • Elder Services • Homecare Assistance • Medical Equipment • Referrals of all types For help with any of these, please contact the Outreach Office at 508-896-2737. Property Tax Exemption Information Applications for FY2021 tax exemptions are now being accepted. Tax exemptions are available for qualifying primary resident seniors, veterans, and blind taxpayers. Renewal applications have been mailed to those who received the exemption last year. Please note that all elderly exemption applicants MUST make a tele-conference appointment with Brenda Locke or Debra Johnson at the Council on Aging to submit and review their application materials. They can be reached at 508-896-2737 or by email at: blocke@brewster-ma.gov or djohnson@brewster-ma.gov Free Personal Hygiene Items: The COA has a variety of disposable incontinence products available. If you or someone you know could use them, please don’t hesitate to give the COA a call at 508-896-2737. Please specify the size you are looking for. We encourage you to consult the Town of Brewster website at www.brewster-ma.gov for the latest information on town topics. Page 11 January 2021 Brewster, MA Sightings from the Poop Deck “Somebody up there likes me.” Rocky Graziano The morning of October 30, 2020 was a miserably rainy morning, not an ideal time to begin a 300- mile road trip to Madison, New Jersey to attend my godson’s daughter’s wedding. But you may remem- ber from last month, there are obligations that must be met. So at eight that morning with the car packed, we set out for the Garden State, currently a low risk state, so we knew that we did not have to quarantine upon our return. The rain continued through Massachusetts, but as we entered Rhode Island Joan asked if it didn’t look like it had begun to snow and she was right. It was not heavy enough to deter our trip just then so we “plowed” ahead, pun intended. It did, however, begin to pick up and about ½ hour into Rhode Island I asked Joan to take some pictures of the trees which had begun to look like a winter wonderland. Here it was, the eve of Halloween, the leaves still on the trees and it was snowing. Was this a sign of what type of winter we could expect? Across the highway in the northbound lane was a jackknifed tractor trailer with traffic beginning to back up for what would be miles. It was now time to think about turning around and going back home. Joan thought we might ride out of it so we pushed on a little further until we reached the Stonington, Connecticut rest area. It was time to quit, so I called the hotel to cancel our reservations and then my nephew with the bad news. Obviously we were all disappointed, and in our younger days we would have been doing “360’s” down 95, which I had learned while driving around in Anchorage, Alaska, but thankfully, we managed to survive our folly back then and we are also much older, and I like to think, a little wiser these days. As a bonus for making it back to Cape Cod safely we pulled in to the Lost Dog Pub in East Dennis for a late lunch….and a Guinness. We were feeling better already. This past weekend we received a phone call from one of our nephews who was also at the wedding. It appears that my godson and his date, his brother and his wife and their daughter and grandchildren, had all come down with COVID. Ironically, this is the table Joan and I would have been seated at. Perhaps we were fortunate making the right deci- sion to come home and who knows, chances are we may have been spared. Oftentimes, life takes on many strange twists and turns as we travel our rocky road through it, and sometimes you guess right and sometimes you guess wrong. But this time maybe, just maybe, I would like to think, “Somebody Up There Likes Us!” Peter R. Scheffer - (“Life is Good!”) - poop deck, n., a deck above a ship’s main after deck And the Winners are... Our December ‘Identify Santa’s Helper’ contest produced 5 sharp-eyed winners! Their names are: Arlene Keegan, Ginny Giles, Joanie Barthe, Charlene Pelletier and Sandra Tubman! They each won a $10.00 gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts, courtesy of the Brewster COA. Congratulations to all! By the way—-the ‘Helper’ was George Nichols who moved to the Woodlands recently. Thanks for being a part of our contest, George! Another Helpful Resource: Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands Alhough their offices are not currently open to the public, their staff is available from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily. Their Home Care Services department is available, as is Protective Services. You may contact them at 508-394-4630. BHT - BOSTON HOSPITAL TRANSPORTATION Enjoy comfortable and safe transportation from Cape Cod DIRECT to Boston hospitals on a wheelchair-accessible van. MONDAY thru FRIDAY SCHEDULE 7:30a.m. Orleans (Shaw’s) 7:45a.m. Harwich (Route 124 Commuter Lot) 8:00a.m. Barnstable (Route 132 Commuter Lot) 8:15a.m. Sagamore (Rotary Commuter Lot) RESERVATIONS are a MUST!!! (Reserve no later than 11a.m. the day before) $30.00 Round Trip/$15.00 One-way Cash or Checks (Payable to CCRTA) accepted For reservations call 1-800-352-7155 Monday – Friday: 8:00a.m. – 5:00p.m. Schedule your medical appointments between 10am & 2pm. The van will leave Boston by 3pm. Please visit the website for more information: www.capecodrta.org TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS We are now offering medical rides from our local area to as far as Hyannis for routine doctor’s appointments Mondays through Fridays. We regret that we cannot accommodate riders who are having procedures. There will be 1 ride per day, with 1 client getting the ride to/from their appointment. All safety precautions, such as social distancing, hygiene protocol and cleaning/disinfecting, will be strictly reinforced. Due to these protocols, our ability to offer rides will be considerably reduced, so we encourage you to have an alternative method of transportation available. Appointments should be booked for times between 9:00am and 2:00pm. Please call the COA at 508-896-2737 as soon as you make an appointment or at least four business days (Monday thru Friday) in advance so that we can schedule your ride. Please notify the COA if you can’t keep your appointment so we can notify our drivers. Donations are accepted for this service. Our van is wheelchair-accessible. Page 12 January 2021 Brewster, MA Std. Mail US Postage PAID Permit #100 Orleans, MA 02653 DART - DIAL-A-RIDE TRANSPORTATION Service: CCRTA provides a daily, general public-demand response service that is wheelchair- accessible, door-to-door, and ride-by-appointment. This service is available to all Cape Cod residents and is available Monday through Saturday in all towns, with limited Sunday service. Rides must be scheduled by no later than noon on the day prior to a ride. Rides can be scheduled up to 30 days in advance. The DART does not run on holidays. For available times in Brewster please call Customer Service toll-free at (800) 352-7155, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm. OR CURRENT RESIDENT TOWN OF BREWSTER - COA 1673 MAIN STREET BREWSTER, MA 02631 This agency and its programs are funded (in whole or in part) by the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Federal Administration for Community Living by a contract from Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands. Please note: There is currently no Senior Dining on-site at the Brewster CO. This menu is for the Meals on Wheels home lunch-delivery program only. For more information, please contact Maria at 508-896-5070. Thank you.