Grandparent Scam Seniors FTC

FTC Warns Seniors: Scammers Against Grandparents Have Gotten Bolder. Don’t Open Your Door to Them

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When it comes to scammers, nothing is sacred — including the bond between grandparent and grandchild. Lately, grandparent scammers have gotten bolder: they might even come to your door to collect money, supposedly for your grandchild in distress. These kinds of scams still start with a call from someone pretending to be your grandchild. They might speak softly or make an excuse for why they sound different. They’ll say they’re in trouble, need bail, or need money for some reason.

Learn How to Best Honor Your Loved One With A Great Obituary

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Learn the basics of how best to honor your loved one with an obituary in this hour-long class with Jamie Passaro, who runs dear person obits based in Eugene, Oregon. — an announcement from Darien Library

Writing an obituary is an important task. Obituaries are history, journalism, and poetry. They are often the last word. All participants will receive Jamie’s 25-page booklet “Writing an Obituary in Four Easy Steps.”

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Police: Man Arrested After Convincing Old Woman to Send $10,000 to a Vacant Darien Address

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A 27-year-old man has been charged with attempted larceny after a 2019 incident in which an elderly woman was convinced to send $10,000 in cash to a vacant Darien house for sale, and a man showed up to demand the package. Back in 2019, Darien police described the incident one way in a regular news release, then an officer involved in the case gave Darienite.com a different description, which then Police Chief Raymond Osborne, largely confirmed, and Darienite.com’s article was updated. Here’s the description given in that article after it was updated, with additional information released today, Tuesday, by police — all accounts include accusations not proven in court:

Sometime on the morning of March 19, 2019, a package arrived on a doorstep of a vacant house for sale on Middlesex Road. The homeowner’s real estate agent had arrived at the house and found the package, addressed to a “Thomas McKnight.” The homeowner was contacted but didn’t know anyone by that name, although the package was correctly delivered to the address on the label.

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Another Chance to Attend an Online ‘Medicare 101’ Explainer Talk

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Are you turning 65 or just confused about Medicare? Miss the “Medicare 101” webinar from Darien Library last week? Well, you’re in luck. Greenwich Library is offering an online talk on just the same subject early Tuesday evening. Medicare can be a confusing topic.  This seminar presented by Lou Pelletier of American Senior Benefits will educate you on the options and programs available.

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Medicare 101: Online Presentation to Help You Understand Your Options

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Are you overwhelmed by the choices of Medicare? Let’s navigate this Medicare journey together! On Thursday, April 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Darien Library is hosting an online presentation where you can explore and evaluate Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. — an announcement from Darien Library

This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you! Register for this informative event
About the Presenter
Jim Farnham, MS, MBA, has thirty years’ experience in insurance and financial services.

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Medicare 101: Register for This Online Presentation Hosted by Darien Library

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Are you overwhelmed by the choices of Medicare? Let’s navigate this Medicare journey together! On Thursday, April 1, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Darien Library is hosting an online presentation where you can explore and evaluate Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. — an announcement from Darien Library

This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you! Register here.

Volunteers Needed to Help Get Food to Darien Elderly, Homebound During COVID-19 Crisis

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Darien police helped deliver food to homebound Darien seniors on Monday afternoon, but the town is looking for volunteers to do that in future days. Can you help? Here’s an announcement from Darien Police Department on Facebook. It includes an announcement from Marcella Rand at the Darien Senior Center:

This afternoon, Darien Police Officers volunteered to deliver essential food items and supplies to homebound Darien seniors who simply should not be out and about during the COVID-19 threat. In collaboration with Palmer’s Market, Darien Human Services, and the Mather Center, Darien officers are taking time during their shifts to pick up phoned in orders from Palmer’s Market, and to deliver to those in need.

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Senior Center’s Food Pickups End, New Program Replaces Them With Deliveries to Seniors and Those in Need

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With Darien Senior Center having ended its food pickup service in the Town Hall parking lot on Monday, a new, expanded program called “Corbin Cares” has been launched in town to have deliveries of breakfasts, boxed lunches and dinners to seniors and others in need during the COVID-19 epidemic. The effort, expected to begin this week, is a collaboration between nonprofits, local businesses and town government departments. Darien seniors and others identified by the town Human Services Department will be eligible for it as well as others in need in surrounding communities. The project is funded privately and is seeking donations from the public. The project, which has the support of Darien’s Department of Public Health and the First Selectman’s Office, is expected to begin this week.

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Darien Senior Programs at Mather Center Closed by COVID-19, Drive-Thru Lunch Pickups Start

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Darien Senior Center programs will be shut down starting this Monday, at least as far as having anyone go in the Mather Center for them, the town government announced Friday morning. But a new drive-through, lunch pickup program in the parking lot outside the Mather Center is being started, only for seniors already enrolled in the Senior Center. The announcement didn’t specify exactly when. The announcement also gave some advice for seniors to protect themselves during the COVID-19 outbreak. Darienite.com reported on Tuesday that the Senior Center had opted to stay open, although it was following direction from First Selectman Jayme Stevenson and town Health Director David Knauf and state authorities on that.

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COVID-19: The New Abnormal Emerges Out of an Abundance of Closures and Other Changes

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Entire public school districts in New Canaan, Wilton and Westport announced on Wednesday that they are immediately closing, and remote learning starts Friday in New Canaan. Senior centers in Greenwich and Stamford also announced closings. Donations of clothing (but not food) to Person-to-Person and in-kind donations to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center are now being refused. Avon Theatre in Stamford announced its anti-coronavirus measures and the Stamford Symphony has cancelled its March 21 and 22 performances. That’s the new abnormal in Darien and surrounding communities as various organizations, institutions and agencies batten down the hatches and shut doors to the public in anticipation of COVID-19 breaking out here, too.

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The Good News About Stroke Is That It’s Treatable: Stamford Hospital Presentation at Senior Center

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Todd Miller, MD of Stamford Hospital will present a program covering the options for acute stroke treatment, and healthy living tips to prevent them at a lunchtime presentation at Darien Senior Center. The presentation begins at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Senior Center in Mather Community Center, entered through the lower parking lot at the Town Hall complex, 2 Renshaw Road. — an announcement from Darien Senior Center

Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in this country according to the National Institute on Aging. Seniors are at the highest risk for a stroke.

Seniors Phone Emergency Call List Human Services Storms Townwide Emergencies

Elderly and Disabled Can Sign up for Town Emergency Call List, Darien Human Services Says

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The staff of Darien Human Services keeps a list of seniors and disabled individuals to contact prior to a storm or town-wide emergency to provide reassurance and peace of mind. — an announcement from the Darien Human Services Department

Staff will also inform residents of resources available in the community such as emergency shelters and cooling centers when necessary. If you are a Darien resident and would like to have your name added to the Emergency Call List, please call Human Services at 203-656-7328. More information on services available to seniors, people with low incomes and veteransalso available on the town government website. 

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Image by congerdesign from Pixabay.

Why Exercise Is ‘the Most Transformative Thing You Can Do For Your Brain’ — Talk at Maplewood Feb 27

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“The Astonishing Effects of Exercise on the Brain” is the subject of a talk Feb. 27 by a neuroscientist who delivered the second-most viewed TEDTalk of 2018. Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University’s Center for Neural Science will deliver an interactive presentation at Maplewood at Darien. Suzuki’s talk will explain “the science behind why physical exercise (i.e., moving your body) is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today,” according to an announcement from Maplewood Senior Living. The public is invited to hear Suzuki speak starting at 4:30 p.m., Feb.

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Eight-Session Class at Darien Senior Center on Preventing Falls, Starts Tuesday

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Fairfield University School of Nursing students will present “A Matter of Balance,” a workshop focused on fall prevention, for eight weekly sessions, beginning Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Senior Center. —an announcement from Darien Senior Center

Falls are the primary cause of injury in Connecticut’s older adults. The workshop will consist of eight weekly two-hour sessions on fall prevention methods with focus on reducing participants’ risk for falling. The program will help participants set goals for increasing physical activity, and teach exercises to increase strength and balance.