Need to Know
New law fights senior fraud and budget increases for care
CO-AGE, the advocacy arm for the Georgia Council on Aging reports that on May 3, the governor signed the Senior Protections from Exploitation Against Retirees (SPEAR) Act into law. The bill was sponsored by Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, with the support of his office’s Securities Division. “Thanks to SPEAR, Georgia law now grants financial institutions the ability to slow down and verify transactions involving the accounts of elderly and at-risk Georgians,” the secretary said.
The governor also signed the FY 2024 budget, HB 19, on May 5, which includes $5,464,800 for non-Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), an increase of over $1 million from last year. This will move a substantial number of seniors off waiting lists for services that help them remain in their homes rather than move into a facility.
Buy a fan and help a neighbor.
Rain has been keeping the blistering heat of summer at bay for the moment, but you know it’s going to be miserable, come July. Unfortunately, many of our Athens neighbors don’t have any way to escape the heat, so the Athens Community Council on Aging is asking if you’re willing to purchase and donate a fan from ACCA’s Amazon Wishlist. Just go to this link and help your neighbors:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16P8ZUTXH918N
Good to Know
Dementia Caregiver Workshop
Caring for someone living with dementia can be challenging and overwhelming. Social workers from Piedmont Healthcare Sixty Plus Services are offering a comprehensive workshop for caregivers to learn about types and stages of dementia, helpful resources, and self-care. The workshop is intended for nonprofessional caregivers, and will be held on Friday, July 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in ACCA’s Harris Room. Cost is $20 paid at registration for a light lunch and refreshments. To register, call 706-549-4850 or email Kellye Morgan at kmorgan@accaging.org.
Also new at ACCA is the Dementia Resource Center, which will be offering education, support, enrichment, and care on an ongoing basis. Check with director Kellye Morgan for each month’s lunch location at various restaurants Designed to provide care partners a chance to socialize, the lunch will be on the second Wednesday.
Fun to Do
6th Annual Hope Gala
The Ashton Hope Keegan Foundation has scheduled its 6th annual gala for Aug. 5, at Hotel Indigo, beginning at 6 p.m. The theme will be “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, silent auction and raffle, a DJ, and the Selfie/Photo Booth. Funds raised by the gala support the foundation’s mission to break the cycle of generational poverty for women through education and technical training. The foundation provides scholarships and material support to women pursuing either their GED or certification training. Purchase tickets at ashtonhopekeeganfoundation.org.
21st Annual Pottery Perspectives
Forty-eight of the top potters from across Georgia will display their work during Pottery Perspectives 2023, a huge exhibition and sale on view in the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation 1902 building from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. The show features upwards of 4,000 pieces of pottery. Preview night is Friday, Aug. 25 from 5 – 8 p.m.; $20 at the door.
Museum of Art highlights the region
https://georgiamuseum.org/exhibit/southern-modern/
“Southern/Modern” is the first project to comprehensively survey the rich array of paintings and works on paper created in the American South during the first half of the 20th century. Featuring more than 100 works drawn from public and private collections across the country, the exhibition includes artists who worked in the region as well as several major artists from outside the region who produced significant work while visiting.
