If you have been diagnosed with the flu, you should stay home and follow your health care provider’s recommendations. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about over-the-counter and prescription medications to ease flu symptoms and help you feel better faster. You can treat flu symptoms with and without medication.  Over-the-counter medications may relieve some flu symptoms but will not make you less contagious. Your health care provider may prescribe antiviral medications to make your illness milder and prevent serious complications.  Your health care provider may prescribe …

As we move forward in 2012, I hope and expect that a high priority of the Town of North Andover will be to continue providing services that will keep older adults in their homes and in the community for as long as they choose. To do this we must maintain, at the Senior Center, the vital programs that enable older adults and the disabled to receive the support from the Senior Center that enhances their quality of life. Transportation and isolation are the number one concerns of elders living in the North Andover community. The need for transportation increases as the population ages and elders…

The North Andover TRIAD is a community safety initiative that focuses on empowering, educating and improving the safety, security and peace of mind of our senior population. The goal of TRIAD is to reduce criminal activity which targets our senior community, alleviate senior’s fear of victimization, build confidence and improve the quality of their life, and enhance the delivery of law enforcement services to the senior population. TRIAD consists of a partnership which involves the Sheriff  & District Attorney, the Police and Fire Chief, the Council on Aging and supportive services in each …

Here is a list of some scams seniors should be particularly aware of these days. Botox Scams: In a society bombarded with images of the young and beautiful, it's not surprising that some older people feel the need to conceal their age in order to participate more fully in social circles in the workplace. After all, 60 is the new 40, right? It is in this spirit that many older Americans seek out new treatments and medication to maintain a youthful appearance, putting them at risk of scammers. It's fake Botox like the one distributed in Arizona that netted in 1.5 million in barely a year, or …

Financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they’re now considered “the crime of the 21st century.” Why? Because seniors are thought to have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts. Financial scams also often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they’re considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they're devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time to recoup their losses. It’s not just wealthy seniors who are targeted. Low-income older adults are also at risk of financial abuse. And it's not …

Shopping online can be a convenient way to look around and compare prices.  But when it comes to buying prescriptions drugs online, be cautious: You could end up with drugs that are fake or include dangerous ingredients. Or, scammers who set up legitimate-looking websites could trick you into giving up personal information that they can use to steal your identity, take your money and send defective drugs, or simply vanish and send nothing at all. How do you deal with a reputable pharmacy? The FDA recommends using only websites of U.S. based pharmacies licensed by a state’s board of pharmacy. …

North Andover Board of Health will once again provide Flu shots during September and October at the following locations. All seniors are welcome to attend any clinics; they do no need to be a resident at the housing complexes to receive a shot. Please be prepared to bring your Medicare Part B card or applicable current health insurance card and be 65 years of age or older. High risk categories are anyone 65 and older with a serious long-term health problem such as: heart or lung disease, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease, or blood disorder and anyone with a weakened immune system. Friday,  …

In the United States alone, an estimated 500 million cell phones have been retired, meaning they are in someone’s home or in the trash.  Most of these phones end up in a kitchen drawer collecting dust, causing literally billions of dollars to go to waste. You can help the North Andover Senior Center by collecting cell phones and ink cartridges for recycling. By dropping your no longer used cell phones at the Senior Center you are supporting two programs in the community. Certain cell phones that are digital we can reprogram for 911 emergency calls. All the phones that cannot be directly re-…

Our Annual Report for FY 11, for the Executive Office of Elder Affairs in Boston, has just been completed and we are pleased to share with you some of our accomplishments. The North Andover Senior Center, with the support we receive from the municipality, volunteer efforts and many community based organizations is able to offer a variety of programs and services to the older adult living in North Andover. These combined efforts allow our clients to live independently in their own homes and be engaged in their community. Our objectives for FY 11 were as follows: Safe Driving Program for …

The following was submitted by the North Andover Senior Center. There are three Free Fun Fridays left. The Highland Street Foundation invites Massachusetts residents and tourists to attractions every Friday this summer with free admission – no tickets – no reservations. The Highland Street Foundation continues to support Massachusetts cultural, education and recreation programs. Aug. 19: Boston Harbor Islands free ferry transportation to the islands from 408 Atlantic Ave., Boston. This is a free ferry ride to either (or both) of the two most popular Boston Harbor Islands – Georges Island (…

With the extremely hot weather the Commonwealth is presently experiencing, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is advising people to be cautious during this period of extreme heat, and is offering some tips to help keep cool and safe. "A few common sense measures can reduce heat-related problems, especially for the elderly, the very young and people with respiratory ailments, who are more susceptible to the effects of high temperatures,” said MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz. Here are some tips to follow during hot, humid weather: Slow down, avoid strenuous activity.  Do not try …

As of July 5, 2011, the MVRTA has added a new stop to the North Andover Route 33 bus route. The North Andover MVRTA bus will now continue it route down Peters Street turning right on to Route 114 and stopping at the North Andover Mall to drop off and pick up passengers. The Route 33 bus is a flag down bus which means there are no designated stops. This is a service that will benefit the whole community. Please stop by the North Andover Senior Center to pick up the new schedule. A special "Thank You" to Senator Baddour, Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative David Torrisi, Joseph Costanzo from the…

Have you ever had a problem with your medicines? You are not alone. There are so many things to keep track of. For example, you may have asked yourself: When exactly should I take my medicine? Is it safe to take vitamins when I take a prescription medicine? Now that I feel better, can I stop taking this medicine? Medicine is prescribed to help you. But it can hurt if you take too much or mix medicines that don't go together. Many people have problems each year, some serious, because of taking the wrong medicine or not taking the right medicines correctly. You can help yourself get the best …

Independence. That’s the status most seniors would prefer to have—to be able to go where they want when they want. But because of a lack of transportation, many older Americans can’t readily get to a medical appointment, go shopping, or visit their local senior center for a meal or social activity. They can arrange for Meals on Wheels for daily food needs. Some have a relative or a generous neighbor to depend upon for a ride. But what if they don’t have anybody to help them? Or can’t afford to call a taxi? This is a dilemma facing many older adults. How does the North Andover Senior Center …

May is Older Americans Month. When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing, however. In April of 1963, President John F. Kennedy's meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designating May as "Senior Citizens Month." Thanks to President Jimmy Carter's 1980 designation, what was once called Senior Citizens Month, is now called "…

Make the Call. Don't Miss a Beat! This is a national public education campaign that aims to educate, engage, and empower women and their families to learn the seven most common symptoms of a heart attack and encourage them to call 911 as soon as those symptoms arise. A woman suffers a heart attack every 90 seconds in the United States. Yet according to a 2009 American Heart Association survey, only half of women indicated they would call 911 if they thought they were having a heart attack and few were aware of the most common heart attack symptoms. The campaign, developed by the U.S. …

The following was submitted by Barbara Champigny of the North Andover Senior Center. During the holiday season many businesses in the community extend support to the North Andover Senior Center. I would like to thank Home Instead Senior Care which, through their Giving Tree program, provided 25 gifts for older adults in the community. This was a tough year, with job layoffs and the struggles for so many families in the community. Two weeks before delivery, the Giving Tree was still filled with tags for suggested donations for elders in the community. A special "Thank You" goes to Stonewedge …

By, Martha Cashins Relationships between adult siblings can range from close to contentious, delightful to distant, and relaxed to stressful; add in the element of caring for aging parents, and the dynamics get even more complex. Engrained relationship patterns only seem to magnify  as adult siblings "come home" for the holidays -- perhaps for the first time in a while -- to find that Mom or Dad has slipped more then they realized and that each sibling may have a very different opinion of how to address the issues. To help make this process a little easier, be on the look-out early for the …

At the North Andover Senior Center, we receive calls asking where someone could get gently used or donate medical items back to the community.  There are organizations that receive and pass on gently used medical items, some of which have never been used. The following is a listing of resources for equipment. The North Andover Senior Center, 978 688-9560 Saint Michaels – North Andover 978 686-4050 St. Vincent De Paul - North Andover, 978 686-4050 Wheelchair Recycle – Marlborough (508) 460-6328 Masons – Malden (781) 322-1052 The Mason Warehouse is only open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. …

The Outreach Coordinator at the North Andover Senior Center is a vital link for all the elders in the community. Our Outreach Coordinator provided counseling, crisis intervention and referral services 4,532 times during FY 2010. The Outreach Coordinator provides home andhospital visits to assess needs, makes referrals for MOW, Brown Bag Food Bank Program, Emergency Assistance Program and Elder Services and also acts as a medical advocate. Our Outreach coordinator oversees the Friendly Visitors and Telephone Reassurance programs. These programs provide companionship for frail and isolated …