DANVILLE — HRH offers CarFit for

local senior citizens

Hendricks Regional Health will be hosting a CarFit event for senior citizens from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 22 in the southwest corner of the hospital parking lot at 1000 E. Main St., Danville.

CarFit is an educational program, created by the American Society on Aging, that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them and actions they can take to improve their fit and safety.

The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility. CarFit was developed through a collaboration with the American Automobile Association, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Although older drivers tend to have safe driving habits, they are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash does occur due to the greater fragility of their bodies. A proper fit in one’s car can greatly increase not only the driver’s safety but also the safety of others.

Based on findings from the CarFit checklists completed at previous CarFit events and follow-up surveys of participants, the program appears to be highly effective on multiple fronts. Some of the CarFit results show:

- More than a third of seniors had at least one critical safety issue needing addressed.

- Ten percent were seated too close to the steering wheel.

- About 20 percent did not have a line of sight at least three inches over the steering wheel.

- The vast majority of CarFit survey respondents indicated that as a result of having gone through the CarFit event, they made a change to improve the fit of their vehicle, their use of safety features in their vehicle, and/or their willingness to discuss their driving with family and/or health care providers.

Each CarFit check will take about 20 minutes to complete.

For more information, call 745-3553 or visit the website at www.hendricks.org.

Driver safety program

offered at senior center

The AARP Driver Safety Program (formerly AARP 55 ALIVE) is the nation’s first and largest classroom refresher course designed especially for drivers ages 50 and older.

Hendricks County Senior Services will offer the four-hour course from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 15. Participants can learn defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws, and rules of the road. Through interactive learning, participants will find out how to safely adjust their driving to compensate for age-related changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time.

Automobile insurance discounts are available in most states for those who complete the course. The fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. There are no tests.

Registration is required and space is limited. To register, call 745-4303. The entire course will be held in a classroom setting at the Hendricks County Senior Center, 1201 Sycamore Lane, Danville. Participants should bring a check made payable to AARP, a ball-point pen, and their driver’s license.

Day trip planned to

Indiana Live Casino

Hendricks County Senior Services is taking a group to the Indiana Grand Casino Oct. 15.

Indiana Grand Casino features 233,000 square feet of gaming. There are 2,000 games to choose from, all in a state-of-the-art, Vegas-style casino.

The bus will leave from the Hendricks County Senior Center in Danville at 9 a.m. and return around 5:30 p.m. The fee is $30 per person.

Reservations and payment are due no later than Sept. 28. After that date, payment will not be refundable but may be transferred toward another trip.

For reservations, call Sharon Severy with Hendricks County Senior Services at 745-4303.

HCSS invites guests to

The Breakfast Club

Hendricks County Senior Services invites guests to attend The Breakfast Club, presented by The Hatfield Family, at 9 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Hendricks County Senior Center. The next Breakfast Club will be 9 a.m. Sept. 13.

The Breakfast Club offers a continental style breakfast consisting of pastries, fruit, milk, fruit juices, and coffee.

Along with breakfast, there is entertainment including gospel, bluegrass, and country music.

The Breakfast Club is an opportunity to get together with friends and family for fun and food, and also to meet new friends. The cost is a $5 donation at the door and then a freewill offering will be taken to support the event. Breakfast is 9 a.m. with music from 9:45 to 11 a.m.

The senior center is at 1201 Sycamore Lane, Danville.

Free blood pressure

screenings offered

Hendricks County Senior Services offers free blood pressure screenings from 10 to 11 a.m. on the first, second, and fourth Wednesdays of each month at the Hendricks County Senior Center, 1201 Sycamore Lane, Danville.

The screenings are sponsored by Great Lakes Caring Home Health & Hospice, Danville Regional Rehabilitation, Nightingale Home Healthcare, and Brownsburg Meadows.

Participants will be provided with a blood pressure record card. The screenings are held in the fitness center and the dining hall. Membership in the senior center is not required.

Alzheimer’s planning options

discussed at workshop Oct. 5

The Alzheimer’s Association will host a free session on legal and financial planning from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 5 at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library.

The program will cover legal and financial information to consider as the disease progresses and plans are made for the future.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, including 120,000 Hoosiers. Every 68 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease, making it the sixth leading cause of death. The direct and indirect costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias amount to more than $200 billion annually.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world leader in Alzheimer’s research and support. Having awarded more than $292 million to more than 2,000 research projects, the association is the largest private funder of Alzheimer’s research. For more information, visit the website at www.alz.org/indiana.

There is no cost to attend the session here, but registration is requested and may be made by calling the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter at (800) 272-3900.

HCSS and SHIP offer

insurance help

Hendricks County Senior Services partners with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to provide health insurance information for people with Medicare. People new to Medicare or struggling to get through the maze of options are welcome to call Hendricks County Senior Services for assistance.

A team of trained volunteer counselors of SHIP in Hendricks County offer free and objective assistance. All conversations are completely confidential. To talk to a SHIP counselor or to schedule an appointment, call Hendricks County Senior Services at 745-4303.

SHIP is also in need of additional volunteer counselors.

Counselors complete an intensive four-day training course and are certified by the Indiana Department of Insurance. Regular training updates keep them current with the most recent changes in Medicare and other health care insurance options.