June 29, 2023 • 11 mins
Cassie Gregory, Director of the Marion County Council on Aging, discusses Senior Day at the Marion County Fair.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Joining me right now is Cassie Gregory. She is the director of the Marion
County Council on Aging and she's hereto talk to us about some of the
things that they're doing upcoming. Howare you doing, Cassie, good?
Thank you. So first off,we're just less than a few days away
from the Marion County Fair and youguys have a really cool event that you've
(00:20):
done pretty much every year at theFair. Talk to us a little bit
about that we have. This iswhat a thing that has been done,
originated with bde Agner and then ina partnership with Kingston as well. Kingston
remains a sponsor as well as OhioHealth this year. But we are back
in the coliseum. For a coupleof years we were outside. We were
(00:41):
moved to a different location which didlimit our vendors and how many seniors we
could fit. So this year we'rereally excited to be back in the coliseum
where we can have more vendors,more prizes, more information, and more
seniors. So it's Senior Day Julythird, that's Monday, from ten am
to two thirty. And I knowthat there's always been a good presence out
(01:03):
there, but Senior Day really seemsto hit with the area seniors pretty well.
At the fair, I think it'sa fun day. You get into
the fair with a canned food itemand then you come to the coliseum.
At ten o'clock we have donuts andcoffee. At eleven o'clock the entertainment starts.
We're having the Harmonica Man who isthere last year, and then a
group that has not been to thefair, Full Moon, will be there.
(01:27):
At twelve o'clock we start lunch.Kingston provides all of the food for
that. Ohio Health provides the icecream. It's four dollars for a lunch,
and we are anticipating serving the firstthree hundred seniors. And then after
that is everybody's favorite part I thinkis the senior games are wonderful vendors who
we've got twenty five vendors coming.They supply the prizes and everybody leaves eventually
(01:55):
with a prize. But then attwo o'clock we do the actual raffle of
the you know, hanging baskets andthe larger items that you sign up for
when you register, and we dothe raffle. You have you seen that,
because that's a that's a pretty fullday even up until two thirty.
Have you seen that throughout the day, even after two thirty that a lot
(02:17):
of the seniors have stuck around andstill checked out more of the fair and
kind of integrate themselves into what's goingon at the fair. I think so.
And I think that is somewhat weatherdependent. Yea, it always is
with the fair, and I knoweveryone tells me it always rains at some
point, but we're hoping for goodweather. But regardless of the coliseum,
(02:37):
we're covered. But the hope isthey seniors don't just come for Senior Day,
but then do go see all theanimals and everything else. Who are
some of the vendors they were goingto be there this year? Oh gosh.
Well, obviously our sponsors, OhioHealth will be there as well as
Kingston. We will have a boothas well, the Marion County Council on
Aging UM. We have several ofour provider are providing agencies that will be
(03:00):
there as well, the Marian SeniorCenter, who does our in county transportation
as well as our shopping. Weare there's several hospice agencies that will be
there. Tranquility Echo. It's reallyeverything anyone that we can fit in to
benefit the seniors. I will tellyou this year there are more regarding insurance
(03:24):
and so that that will be alittle bit new this year to hopefully get
information out because there's a lot ofscams that are going on sadly for seniors.
We also the Ohio Attorney General issending someone up too, so that
will be very beneficial I think forpeople to get information directly from them awesome.
(03:44):
So again on Monday, July three, at the Fair ten am to
two thirty pm Senior Day, bringin a canned food item. You get
in and there will be coffee anddonuts and all that in the morning,
and then for four dollars you'll beable to get a lunch in the coliseum.
And I think that's a big thing. Like we said, it's everything
at the Fairs kind of weather dependent, but it is in the coliseum,
(04:06):
so you'll be able to be coveredand out from the elements absolutely. And
you know, many of our seniors, you know, have to use walkers
or wheelchairs, but being back inthe coliseum it makes accessibility much easier for
them. Now we have other seniorsthat are more active than I am,
but it does make it very conducivefor us. Very good. Well,
(04:26):
I also want to talk about anevent that just went on understanding Alzheimer's and
dementia and the basics of elder law. And you guys put that on at
your offices. How did that goand what were people able to learn from
that. We hosted the Marion CountyCouncil on aging, We hosted the Alzheimer's
Association. We work very good withthem and have a great partnership. Hannah
(04:49):
Adams does office hours even monthly inour office to meet with caregivers. But
yesterday they spoke on understanding the basicsof Alzheimer's disease and dementia. And then
Stephen Roush, the elder law attorney, he spoke about a state planning and
(05:10):
he has been around in Marion forover a decade, is extremely well versed
in planning. When you know,we all want to plan prior to a
crisis, but even if you endup in a crisis and then have to
plan um. He went over situationswith medicaid. He is also well versed
in VA and so it was alot of you know, trying to help
(05:35):
people win. They you do haveto plan for the things that nobody wants
to plan for, um, whetherit be you're you're trying to of course
protect your assets, but then alsoif you have to go into a facility,
and what if that leaves a communityspouse at home. So it's it's
a lot of information and it iscomplicated, and I will tell you that
(05:56):
we had conversations afterward that we aregoing to continue to do this either quarterlier
at least twice a year, justso it can more information can get out,
because I don't think that a lotof people are still doing this,
even though you know we all needto. Yeah, do you think that
I know, I've experienced some ofthis with family members of my own.
(06:17):
Do you think it's just one ofthose things that it's just such a scary
topic and nobody wants to face theirown mortality, whether you're young or old.
Is it one of those things thatit's just I don't have to look
at this today, and so alot of people just wait too long before
they can even just find out thebasics. I think that that is a
(06:39):
lot of it. I think whatchanges that is when you experience it with
a loved one or you see yourfriend go through this and their parents had
nothing planned for, or you watchsomeone lose or you know, have to
spend all of their moneys and itgo to the facility. I think you
just it's hard to think about.It's none of these things are things that
you want to have to make decisionsabout, and I think people people routinely
(07:02):
put them off as as long aspossible common human behavior. Absolutely, well,
that's that's really interesting. And againyou're you're going to have some more
of those type meetings, looking atpossibly doing that quarterly and to try to
make these conversations more normal and easierto have. You know, the more
you think about it, the easierit is to talk about and actually think
(07:24):
about and plan for. Another thingyou have going on, that's ongoing dementia
support group. It looks like itmeets the second Tuesday of every month at
one pm. Tell us just alittle bit about number one, how our
listeners can get into that, butalso what they could expect when they go
to that group. Absolutely, AndI will tell you how this originated.
We were again partnering with the Alzheimer'sAssociation, and we did a series where
(07:46):
once a month, the Alzheimer's Associationwould send a presenter. We hosted it
at the Marion County Council on Agingoffice and they would speak on different topics
of Alzheimer's disease. And it wasone session a month for six months and
I had we had consistent attendance andit was basically the same people. And
(08:09):
so when that was over, Ididn't feel like this group could disband because
the conversation, I mean, somany people were going through the same things.
We needed to continue that. Sothere were three of the attendees that
said that they would take on leadinga support group. I attend the support
group. We host the support group, but it is at our office on
(08:33):
the second Tuesday of every month atone o'clock and at that we talk about
what's going on. We do havea topic each time. One of the
first our first meeting, we talkedabout when we first got the diagnosis for
our loved one that there was dementia. The last meeting was sometimes you laugh,
(08:54):
sometimes you cry during these meetings,but it was about the hardest behavior
that it is to deal with withyour loved one that has dementia. And
then we are going to do andagain we've only had two of the actual
support group meetings, but in July, the date is July eleventh, that
will be at our office, MarionCounty Council on Aging. But then in
(09:16):
August it will also still be atour office. But Ohio Health is going
to present on life of loss,and by that we don't mean the actual
passing away of the person with dementia, but the losses that the caregiver and
the family experiences as that person progressesthrough the stages. So we are I
do think that will be a verymeaningful presentation and would love for people to
(09:43):
come out to hear that, becauseI don't think that that is something that
we talk about either. Yeah,they say with dementia and Alzheimer's it's the
long goodbye, yes, And sobeing prepared for that is not something that's
easy to even talk about. Absolutely, And the Jack Hannah are Hole that
was just in the paper this lastweek. I mean, I think any
of us that have a loved onethat has dementia, if you read that
(10:05):
article, it is it is veryit is painful. And I think it's
also important to mention that it's notjust for the spouse for this group,
it can be for the children.Even maybe some grandchildren or brothers and sisters
of the patient that has dementia.All of the above attend. It's absolutely
(10:28):
not just spouses, it's all agerages as well, from twenties to seventies.
Probably. Well, it sounds likeNumber one, you guys are real
busy, which is very good forthe community and the seniors in the community,
and you're reaching out to them.But also it's just wonderful to hear
about everything that's going on and toknow that these things are out there for
(10:54):
not only for the seniors, buteven the family members of the seniors.
Absolutely, caregivers definitely need support,and that's what we're trying to do,
is not just reach our seniors,but reach the families and friends and everyone
that supports our seniors. Well,this is great information. I do want
to mention one more time. Mondayat the Fair Senior Day ten am to
two thirty pm in the coliseum.Bring a can good you'll get in and
(11:18):
then you can have coffee and donuts. In the morning. There's going to
be vendors, all kinds of thingsto do. Lunch will be provided for
four dollars, and then there willbe the Senior Games and raffle. Just
a lot of fun at the fair. So Cassie, thanks for coming in
today and just sharing with us.And I'm sure we'll talk again soon.
I look forward to it. Thankyou very good
Joining me right now is Cassie Gregory. She is the director of the Marion
County Council on Aging and she's hereto talk to us about some of the
things that they're doing upcoming. Howare you doing, Cassie, good?
Thank you. So first off,we're just less than a few days away
from the Marion County Fair and youguys have a really cool event that you've
(00:20):
done pretty much every year at theFair. Talk to us a little bit
about that we have. This iswhat a thing that has been done,
originated with bde Agner and then ina partnership with Kingston as well. Kingston
remains a sponsor as well as OhioHealth this year. But we are back
in the coliseum. For a coupleof years we were outside. We were
(00:41):
moved to a different location which didlimit our vendors and how many seniors we
could fit. So this year we'rereally excited to be back in the coliseum
where we can have more vendors,more prizes, more information, and more
seniors. So it's Senior Day Julythird, that's Monday, from ten am
to two thirty. And I knowthat there's always been a good presence out
(01:03):
there, but Senior Day really seemsto hit with the area seniors pretty well.
At the fair, I think it'sa fun day. You get into
the fair with a canned food itemand then you come to the coliseum.
At ten o'clock we have donuts andcoffee. At eleven o'clock the entertainment starts.
We're having the Harmonica Man who isthere last year, and then a
group that has not been to thefair, Full Moon, will be there.
(01:27):
At twelve o'clock we start lunch.Kingston provides all of the food for
that. Ohio Health provides the icecream. It's four dollars for a lunch,
and we are anticipating serving the firstthree hundred seniors. And then after
that is everybody's favorite part I thinkis the senior games are wonderful vendors who
we've got twenty five vendors coming.They supply the prizes and everybody leaves eventually
(01:55):
with a prize. But then attwo o'clock we do the actual raffle of
the you know, hanging baskets andthe larger items that you sign up for
when you register, and we dothe raffle. You have you seen that,
because that's a that's a pretty fullday even up until two thirty.
Have you seen that throughout the day, even after two thirty that a lot
(02:17):
of the seniors have stuck around andstill checked out more of the fair and
kind of integrate themselves into what's goingon at the fair. I think so.
And I think that is somewhat weatherdependent. Yea, it always is
with the fair, and I knoweveryone tells me it always rains at some
point, but we're hoping for goodweather. But regardless of the coliseum,
(02:37):
we're covered. But the hope isthey seniors don't just come for Senior Day,
but then do go see all theanimals and everything else. Who are
some of the vendors they were goingto be there this year? Oh gosh.
Well, obviously our sponsors, OhioHealth will be there as well as
Kingston. We will have a boothas well, the Marion County Council on
Aging UM. We have several ofour provider are providing agencies that will be
(03:00):
there as well, the Marian SeniorCenter, who does our in county transportation
as well as our shopping. Weare there's several hospice agencies that will be
there. Tranquility Echo. It's reallyeverything anyone that we can fit in to
benefit the seniors. I will tellyou this year there are more regarding insurance
(03:24):
and so that that will be alittle bit new this year to hopefully get
information out because there's a lot ofscams that are going on sadly for seniors.
We also the Ohio Attorney General issending someone up too, so that
will be very beneficial I think forpeople to get information directly from them awesome.
(03:44):
So again on Monday, July three, at the Fair ten am to
two thirty pm Senior Day, bringin a canned food item. You get
in and there will be coffee anddonuts and all that in the morning,
and then for four dollars you'll beable to get a lunch in the coliseum.
And I think that's a big thing. Like we said, it's everything
at the Fairs kind of weather dependent, but it is in the coliseum,
(04:06):
so you'll be able to be coveredand out from the elements absolutely. And
you know, many of our seniors, you know, have to use walkers
or wheelchairs, but being back inthe coliseum it makes accessibility much easier for
them. Now we have other seniorsthat are more active than I am,
but it does make it very conducivefor us. Very good. Well,
(04:26):
I also want to talk about anevent that just went on understanding Alzheimer's and
dementia and the basics of elder law. And you guys put that on at
your offices. How did that goand what were people able to learn from
that. We hosted the Marion CountyCouncil on aging, We hosted the Alzheimer's
Association. We work very good withthem and have a great partnership. Hannah
(04:49):
Adams does office hours even monthly inour office to meet with caregivers. But
yesterday they spoke on understanding the basicsof Alzheimer's disease and dementia. And then
Stephen Roush, the elder law attorney, he spoke about a state planning and
(05:10):
he has been around in Marion forover a decade, is extremely well versed
in planning. When you know,we all want to plan prior to a
crisis, but even if you endup in a crisis and then have to
plan um. He went over situationswith medicaid. He is also well versed
in VA and so it was alot of you know, trying to help
(05:35):
people win. They you do haveto plan for the things that nobody wants
to plan for, um, whetherit be you're you're trying to of course
protect your assets, but then alsoif you have to go into a facility,
and what if that leaves a communityspouse at home. So it's it's
a lot of information and it iscomplicated, and I will tell you that
(05:56):
we had conversations afterward that we aregoing to continue to do this either quarterlier
at least twice a year, justso it can more information can get out,
because I don't think that a lotof people are still doing this,
even though you know we all needto. Yeah, do you think that
I know, I've experienced some ofthis with family members of my own.
(06:17):
Do you think it's just one ofthose things that it's just such a scary
topic and nobody wants to face theirown mortality, whether you're young or old.
Is it one of those things thatit's just I don't have to look
at this today, and so alot of people just wait too long before
they can even just find out thebasics. I think that that is a
(06:39):
lot of it. I think whatchanges that is when you experience it with
a loved one or you see yourfriend go through this and their parents had
nothing planned for, or you watchsomeone lose or you know, have to
spend all of their moneys and itgo to the facility. I think you
just it's hard to think about.It's none of these things are things that
you want to have to make decisionsabout, and I think people people routinely
(07:02):
put them off as as long aspossible common human behavior. Absolutely, well,
that's that's really interesting. And againyou're you're going to have some more
of those type meetings, looking atpossibly doing that quarterly and to try to
make these conversations more normal and easierto have. You know, the more
you think about it, the easierit is to talk about and actually think
(07:24):
about and plan for. Another thingyou have going on, that's ongoing dementia
support group. It looks like itmeets the second Tuesday of every month at
one pm. Tell us just alittle bit about number one, how our
listeners can get into that, butalso what they could expect when they go
to that group. Absolutely, AndI will tell you how this originated.
We were again partnering with the Alzheimer'sAssociation, and we did a series where
(07:46):
once a month, the Alzheimer's Associationwould send a presenter. We hosted it
at the Marion County Council on Agingoffice and they would speak on different topics
of Alzheimer's disease. And it wasone session a month for six months and
I had we had consistent attendance andit was basically the same people. And
(08:09):
so when that was over, Ididn't feel like this group could disband because
the conversation, I mean, somany people were going through the same things.
We needed to continue that. Sothere were three of the attendees that
said that they would take on leadinga support group. I attend the support
group. We host the support group, but it is at our office on
(08:33):
the second Tuesday of every month atone o'clock and at that we talk about
what's going on. We do havea topic each time. One of the
first our first meeting, we talkedabout when we first got the diagnosis for
our loved one that there was dementia. The last meeting was sometimes you laugh,
(08:54):
sometimes you cry during these meetings,but it was about the hardest behavior
that it is to deal with withyour loved one that has dementia. And
then we are going to do andagain we've only had two of the actual
support group meetings, but in July, the date is July eleventh, that
will be at our office, MarionCounty Council on Aging. But then in
(09:16):
August it will also still be atour office. But Ohio Health is going
to present on life of loss,and by that we don't mean the actual
passing away of the person with dementia, but the losses that the caregiver and
the family experiences as that person progressesthrough the stages. So we are I
do think that will be a verymeaningful presentation and would love for people to
(09:43):
come out to hear that, becauseI don't think that that is something that
we talk about either. Yeah,they say with dementia and Alzheimer's it's the
long goodbye, yes, And sobeing prepared for that is not something that's
easy to even talk about. Absolutely, And the Jack Hannah are Hole that
was just in the paper this lastweek. I mean, I think any
of us that have a loved onethat has dementia, if you read that
(10:05):
article, it is it is veryit is painful. And I think it's
also important to mention that it's notjust for the spouse for this group,
it can be for the children.Even maybe some grandchildren or brothers and sisters
of the patient that has dementia.All of the above attend. It's absolutely
(10:28):
not just spouses, it's all agerages as well, from twenties to seventies.
Probably. Well, it sounds likeNumber one, you guys are real
busy, which is very good forthe community and the seniors in the community,
and you're reaching out to them.But also it's just wonderful to hear
about everything that's going on and toknow that these things are out there for
(10:54):
not only for the seniors, buteven the family members of the seniors.
Absolutely, caregivers definitely need support,and that's what we're trying to do,
is not just reach our seniors,but reach the families and friends and everyone
that supports our seniors. Well,this is great information. I do want
to mention one more time. Mondayat the Fair Senior Day ten am to
two thirty pm in the coliseum.Bring a can good you'll get in and
(11:18):
then you can have coffee and donuts. In the morning. There's going to
be vendors, all kinds of thingsto do. Lunch will be provided for
four dollars, and then there willbe the Senior Games and raffle. Just
a lot of fun at the fair. So Cassie, thanks for coming in
today and just sharing with us.And I'm sure we'll talk again soon.
I look forward to it. Thankyou very good
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