Senior Beat
by Carol Higgins Taylor
Special to The Weekly
Mainers are funny about time and winter. I have friends (actually, mostly my male friends) who flat out refuse to turn on the furnace until Nov. 1. That’s the rule. The weather doesn’t matter, only the calendar.
I have no such rule regarding turning up the heat. I do, however, have a rule that I will wear no coat until Nov. 1. The one exception is rain. I am not fanatical, after all. This is a personal choice. I have coats, too many coats truth be told, but I make the decision each year to hang on to summer, and even early fall, as long as possible. Going “coatless” is a symbolic
gesture.
I’m lucky. I can make that decision, but some people cannot. They don’t have a choice about whether or not to wear a coat. Some seniors will have inadequate outerwear this winter and
will be cold for months.
That is why, again this year, the area agencies, the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging and LL Bean are holding the Coats for Seniors event.
Here’s how it works. As in past years, people can donate a coat at the LL Bean flagship
store in Freeport during the Festival of Lights event Friday through Sunday, Nov. 21-23. For people who are not planning a trip to Freeport, there is a new drop site in Bangor.
Eastern Area Agency on Aging will collect coats at its main office, 450 Essex St., until Friday, Nov. 21. All coats donated during the campaign, either at LL Bean or at an area agency on aging, will be turned over to Goodwill locations around the state.
In exchange, Goodwill will give each area agency on aging coat vouchers which will be distributed to seniors in need. The vouchers are valid at Goodwill locations around the
state. The beauty of this system is that seniors can choose their own coats in their correct size at a Goodwill store.
But there is even more good news. For every coat that is donated, either at LL Bean or an
area agency on aging, such as Eastern, LL Bean will donate $5 to a fuel assistance fund for older adults.
These funds are distributed evenly among the area agencies on aging in the state in an effort to
help seniors make it through winter.
This program has a successful track record. Last year, 930 coats were collected and $4,650 was raised for fuel assistance.
Along with coat donations, Eastern Area Agency on Aging also is helping people with their medications. EAAA is teaming up with Penobscot Community Health Center to offer Medication Brown Bag Medication Safety Check Days, at EAAA offices. Seniors are encouraged to stop by EAAA with all of their medications and have them evaluated by PCHC pharmacy staff. During these brown-bag checks, the pharmacists will discuss medication safety and determine any barriers the senior may have taking the medication as prescribed.
Grab a bag and bring your medications to EAAA 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, or Wednesday, Nov. 19. The medication evaluation is free and open to the public. Please note that this is not a
drug take-back event and the Triad Drug Drop-Off box will not be there. Only bring the medications that you currently take. And bring all of them, even over-the-counter drugs that you
take occasionally because you never know how they may interact with your prescriptions.
If you would like more information on the coat drop-off or the Medication Brown Bag
Medication Safety Check Days, call EAAA at 941-2865.
Carol Higgins Taylor is an advocate for seniors and owns a public relations firm in Bangor.
Email Taylor at 4chtaylor@gmail.com.