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Being Prepared Starts With You

Chautauqua County has an emergency mitigation plan. This plan works to identify risks and vulnerabilities that come with natural disasters and other hazards. Chautauqua County received a Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to complete an update to the County’s 2016 MultiJurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The purpose of hazard mitigation planning is to reduce damage to the environment and prevent the loss of life and the number and severity of injuries that may result from natural hazard events. Chautauqua has its share of ...

Can Everyone Get The Food They Need?

The pandemic has certainly affected our food supply, creating temporary shortages and uncertainty. However, the problem of food insecurity has been on the rise around the world affecting all ages. Older adults seem to be particularly vulnerable due to fixed incomes, high healthcare costs, social isolation, poor health conditions, and lack of affordable housing. While often used interchangeably, food security and hunger are not the same. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as having consistent lack of access to affordable healthy foods. Food ...

Office For Aging Services To Present Film Oct. 4

The Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services (OFAS) will present a local screening of All the Lonely People, a social-impact film examining the epidemic of loneliness. The in-person screening is free and open to the public on Friday, Nov. 4, at 3 p.m. at the Robert H. Jackson Center located at 305 E. Fourth St., Jamestown. It will include a facilitated Q&A with the film’s producers and local officials, offering a forum for community discussion about ways to develop resilience and implement strategies to combat social isolation. We all found out during the pandemic that human ...

Is Medicare Part B Price Really Dropping?

Question: I heard the Medicare Part B rate is going down, is this true? Answer; I am so pleased you asked this question. The quick answer to this question is YES that is correct. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has just announced the 2023 rates. This is the earliest they have ever announced them. The Medicare Part B Premium for 2022 is $170.10 and in 2023 the Medicare Part B Premium is going down to $164.90. The Medicare Part B premium going down does not happen often. It has happened only three times, previous to this year, 1990, 1996 and 2012. The COLA increase to ...

How To Handle Drug Plan Being Discontinued

Question: I got notification that my Prescription Drug Plan coverage will no longer be offered in 2023. What should I do? Answer: This year there has been very little change in the number of stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDP’s) offered in New York state. In 2022 and 2023 we have 19 plans, but there are changes. There is one new plan and one plan that no longer is offered. It sounds like you have Original Medicare, a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap) and a stand-alone PDP. Let’s review some of the changes that are happening to the PDP’s in 2023. Everyone who has ...

Tips On How To Make Friends After Turning 50

The early years of midlife are a hectic time for many people. Around the time many people reach their late 30s and early 40s, they’re balancing the responsibilities of a career and a family. But as people enter their 50s, some of those responsibilities tend to be less significant, leaving ...