Seniors, this forum's for you
HAYDEN — A new group is meeting every month, and seniors, it’s all about you.
“A lot of people need to be talking about aging issues,” said Bryan Ross, a Wells Fargo financial advisor and member of Professionals Serving Seniors.
Geezer Forum South held its first session Tuesday afternoon in the Hayden Library, where the meetings will take place the third Tuesday of every month. The forum is presented by Professionals Serving Seniors, a consortium of experts whose professional lives are spent helping seniors navigate issues that impact them and their families.
The free group takes its name from the Geezer Forum that has been held in Sandpoint for about five years. The informational forum is all about issues that seniors face — getting used to hearing aids, paying for medical bills, parenting for grandparents, emotional stress and anything else that is on their minds.
“We don’t want to pick a topic and stick with that. We want to be able to veer off into other subjects that might come up that you’re thinking about,” Ross said. “There’s no good or bad, right or wrong. I’d like to talk about whatever issue you’d like to talk about.”
The topic of the inaugural South forum was “Medicare Made Simple,” presented by Rex Grace, a Medicare insurance specialist with Grace Insurance.
“It's not a matter of ‘if’ we get sick. It's when,” said Grace, who is also a member of Professionals Serving Seniors.
His presentation included a brief history and overview of Medicare, information about enrollment and Medicare cards, long-term care and the three most common mistakes people make when choosing a Medicare plan.
He said those common mistakes are: confusing hype with facts; people not understanding the hidden costs of policies; and all options not being considered when a person enrolls.
“It's overwhelming because of all the choices we have,” Grace said.
Grace fielded several questions from the roughly 10 attendees at the forum, providing insights and clarifications for specific and confusing Medicare issues some have already experienced.
Deborah Sampert of Athol shared some of her concerns and personal experiences with caring for her mother in the last years of her life. Sampert said she’s glad the Geezer Forum is willing to provide these sessions to educate seniors about how to maintain their health, among other topics.
“This is very good for the seniors,” Sampert said. “I think the people that are organizing and presenting it seem to have covered all the bases.”
The next Geezer Forum South will be Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Hayden Library, 8385 N. Government Way. The topic will be “Unwrapping the Gift of Aging.”
Info: www.facebook.com/ professionalsservingseniors