JCLC October 2022 Newsletter

LIHEAP

HACAP is now accepting applications for eligible individuals 60+ for LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program).

Family Size Annual Gross Income

1 $27,180

2 $36,620

3 $46,060

4 $55,500

Click here to read more and to apply

Snow Removal

AbbeHealth Aging Services is accepting applications for snow removal through Friday, October 14th. This service, which is very basic, is ideal for those who have physical disabilities, severe arthritis, neuropathy, heart conditions or other risk factors and cannot afford regular snow removal. Completed applications must be emailed by the deadline of October 14th to Joni.Thompson@unitypoint.org

Click here for the application

General Election Information

By: Bailey Kelly, Johnson County Auditor's Office

The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8 – and the Johnson County Auditor’s Office has plenty of ways for you to vote!

Early voting by mail: You can request a ballot to be mailed to you by submitting an Absentee Ballot Request form. These forms are available on our website, or you can call our office and ask us to mail you a form. We cannot accept ballot requests via phone or email. We must have the Absentee Ballot Request forms in our office by 5pm on Monday, October 24. You can mail or deliver them to our office at 913 S. Dubuque St. (full contact information below). Ballots will begin being mailed on October 19.
Early voting in person:

o Voting at our office (913 S. Dubuque St.) and drive-thru voting (855 S. Dubuque St.)

will start at 8am on October 19. Hours are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday, with

weekend hours of 9am-5pm on Saturday, November 5 and 9am-3pm on Sunday,

November 6.

o All Johnson County voters can cast their ballot at the following satellite locations.

Iowa Memorial Union, 125 N. Madison St., Iowa City
October 19 – October 21, 9am-3pm
Purpose Place, 611 Southgate Ave., Iowa City
October 23, 9am-3pm
Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City
October 30, 11am-5pm
October 31 – November 2, 10am-4pm
November 3, 12pm-6pm
Coralville Public Library, 1401 5th St., Coralville
November 5, 10am-4pm
November 6, 12pm-4pm
North Liberty Community Library, 520 W. Cherry St., North Liberty
November 5, 11am-5pm
November 6, 1pm-4pm

· Election Day: Polls are open from 7am-8pm. Heads up – you might have a new polling place! Due to the reprecincting process after the 2020 census, you may reside in a new precinct or have a new polling place. Our office mailed out notices to every registered voter earlier this year, and we will send out an informational postcard closer to the election. You can always confirm your polling place using our online locator.

APPLY TO BE A PRECINCT ELECTION OFFICIAL

Join the teams that make our elections possible! Earn $16.50/hr, plus overtime and mileage.

Requirements:

· Registered to vote in Johnson County

· Able to provide your own transportation to and from the polls

· Willing to work long hours (typically 6am-10pm)

· Willing to attend paid training prior to working an election

There is a special need of PEOs that are registered Republican or No Party voters

For more information or to apply, visit: www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/peo

The Auditor's website has more information, including example ballots and candidate information. Please contact the Auditor's office with any questions. We are here to help!

Johnson County Auditor

913 S Dubuque St #101

Iowa City, IA 52240

bit.ly/22general

(319) 356-6004

elections@johnsoncountyiowa.gov

Medicare Open Enrollment

You can enroll in Medicare health and drug plans from October 15 – December 7. Get ready for Medicare’s Open Enrollment with these 5 tips:

1) Check your mail. You may get important notices from Medicare or Social Security. If you’re in a Medicare plan, you’ll get an Annual Notice of Changes (ANOC) telling you of any changes in coverage, costs, or service area. Note any 2023 changes to your health coverage or any Extra Help you may get to pay for prescription drugs.

You may also get brochures and other marketing materials from insurance companies that offer Medicare health and prescription drug plans. Remember — plans aren’t allowed to call or come to your home without an invitation from you. Find out how to protect yourself. .

2) Think about your Medicare coverage needs for 2023. Carefully review your current Medicare coverage, and note any upcoming changes to your costs or benefits. Decide if your current Medicare coverage will meet your needs for the year ahead. If you like your current coverage, and it’s still available for 2023, you don’t need to take any action to keep it.

3) Review your 2023 “Medicare & You” handbook. It has information about Medicare coverage and Medicare plans in your area. If you want to get your handbook electronically, you can go paperless by logging into (or creating) your secure Medicare account.

4) Preview 2023 health and prescription drug plans. We make it easy to compare coverage options and shop for health plans. For a personalized search, log in or create an account (if you have a Medicare Number) to create or access a list of your drugs, compare your current Medicare plan to others, and see prices based on any help you get with drug costs.

5) Get personalized help in your community. For local assistance contact a Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counselor. Schedule a meeting by contacting the Iowa City Senior Center (319-356-5220) or Mercy Hospital (319-339-3658). You can also schedule appointments online through the Senior Center by clicking here.

Source: https://www.medicare.gov/

COVID-19 Information

By: Jennifer Miller, Johnson County Public Health and Cathy Dolan

Vaccine:

Four COVID-19 vaccines are approved for primary vaccine use in the US:

Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna
Novavax
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) (However, CDC recommends that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine only be considered in certain situations, due to safety concerns.)

Two Covid-19 vaccines are approved for booster use in the US:

Pfizer-BioNTech
Moderna

Both of the boosters are bivalent. This means they contain the original booster as well as the new Omicron variant booster. The single (monovalent) booster is no longer available for anyone over the age of 12.

People under the age of 18 will have fewer vaccines to choose from because some of these are not approved for children. Not all children are approved to get a booster yet either.

You can use this tool on the CDC website to find out if and when you can get a booster.

Many medical offices and almost all pharmacies have both primary and booster vaccines available. Contact your provider or favorite pharmacy to find out how to make an appointment. Many places use online scheduling systems. Availability can be limited at times so be patient and persistent to get your appointment. People should check with the clinic you would like to attend that bivalent is available there. You can get your flu vaccine on the same day. It’s never too late to get vaccinated!

Masks:

As the number of Covid-19 cases decreases, many health-care facilities and hospitals have loosened their restrictions on wearing masks, especially in common areas. Check with each facility you visit about their current policy, but please wear a mask when asked to do so. Covid-19 remains a highly communicable disease. You can always continue to wear a mask whenever it makes you feel more comfortable. Masks can also help reduce your chance of contracting other communicable diseases, especially as we head into cold and flu season.

Flu Vaccine Clinics

The Visiting Nurse Association will be providing flu clinics for the Johnson County community. Public walk-in clinics are held in schools throughout the county, some churches, and the Senior Center. We administer flu vaccine to those 6 months of age and up.

VNA will also be offering the Pfizer Bivalent Covid Boosters at some of our public clinics.

For more information, please check our website www.vnaic.org/annual-flu-shot-clinics

Or contact VNA at 319-337-9686

Halloween Safety Tips for Seniors

Halloween is a fun holiday full of candy, costumes, and festive parties. But it can be a stressful time for your aging loved one. More than any other time of year, this evening brings the largest amount of unknown visitors to your residence.

Consider these tips before the festivities begin to ensure your loved ones are safe and comfortable this Halloween.

Avoid the roads

Iowa Homeowner Assistance Fund

Assistance is available for eligible Iowa homeowners at-risk of foreclosure through the Iowa Homeowner Assistance Fund Program.

The program may provide one-time assistance to help eligible homeowners with past due mortgage and related expenses. Iowans purchasing a home under a legally recorded contract as well as those who own manufactured homes may also be eligible for assistance. Other available assistance types include property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, homeowner association fees and manufactured home lot rent.

Eligibility:

· Applicant must be income qualified

· Applicant must be at least 30 days behind on mortgage, contract sale, manufactured home or property taxes.

· Applicant household experienced and can demonstrate a financial hardship after January 21, 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

· Property must be located in Iowa and must be applicant's primary residence.

Learn More

Johnson County Public Health Survey

NOW until November 19

Please fill out this questionnaire help Johnson County Public Health better understand our communities – this survey is for everyone who lives, works, learns, and or plays in Johnson County! The questions should take 15-20 minutes and is very important to continue to meet health needs in Johnson County.

Link to Survey

Long-Term Care Planning Month & Aging in Place Booklet

Long-Term Care Planning Month takes place in October and creates awareness among senior citizens and their caretakers to understand and prepare for the costs of healthcare for adults.

The Johnson County Livable Community Housing Action Team created the Aging in Place Booklet to be used as a reference when putting your Aging in Place plan to work. You can access the booklet online or one can be mailed to you. This booklet can be a helpful tool in your long-term care planning. If you would like to receive one by mail please contact Jeff Kellbach at 319-688-5842 or email jkellbach@johnsoncountyiowa.gov

Click here for more Long-Term Care Planning Tips

Lunch and Learn Training- The ABCs of ADUs*

The Johnson County Livable Community for Successful Aging Policy Board is sponsoring a training on Wednesday, November 2^nd in cooperation with the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors and the Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association. The training is underwritten by Hills Bank. The training will focus on the benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units* in supporting seniors to continue to remain in their homes. The event will begin with lunch at 11:30 am and last until 1:15 pm.

The featured speaker will be Brad Anderson, Executive Director of AARP Iowa. He will provide a historical perspective for the need for ADUs and will share the various forms of ADUs. There will also be a presentation by Andy Martin with Martin Construction regarding his experience with building an ADU within the area. In addition, various requirements for ADUs from cities within Johnson County and the state will be shared.

There is limited seating. If you would like to attend please send an email to:

William Gorman:

w_gorman@hotmail.com

If there is seating available, Mr. Gorman will register you and let you know the location for the training.

*ADU- A residential living unit on the same parcel as a single-family dwelling or a parcel

on which a single-family dwelling is present or may be constructed. The ADU provides

complete independent living facilities for one or more persons. It may take various forms:

a detached unit; a unit that is part of an accessory structure, such as a detached garage; or

a unit that is part of an expanded or remodeled dwelling.

RSVP Here

Would you like to join a Livable Community Action Team or Committee? Learn more by visiting our website or by reaching out to Jeff Kellbach at jkellbach@johnsoncountyiowa.gov

Horizons Learn and Earn Series

Local Programming and News

Click on the categories below to access more information

Senior Connections Lunch	AARP Iowa Events	Alzheimer's Association Upcoming Events	Solon Senior News October Newsletter
Silver Linings Older Iowans	Hancher Auditorium Upcoming Events	The Center Iowa City- September and October Activity Guide
Stanley Museum of Art Calendar	Trail of Johnson County Calendar	UI Center of Human Rights Events