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Care Connection for Aging Services will emphasize the benefits available to help seniors stretch their household budgets during a short program at 10:20 a.m. March 2 at the Neal Center.
Benefits Counselor Penny Humphrey will explain Care Connection’s Benefits Enrollment Center, which offers seniors screenings and enrollment assistance in many money-saving programs. While she is at the center, Humphrey will help people apply for the Missouri Property Tax Credit, also known as the Circuit Breaker.
“The state and federal governments offer many programs to help seniors pay for health care, medications, utilities, food, energy and even phones,” Humphrey said. “However, many people don’t even know these options exist. That’s why we are reaching out to people in our area to make the programs known and to help with applications.”
Humphrey’s presentation includes a brief summary of the benefits and an opportunity for people to test their knowledge by spinning a wheel and answering questions for prizes.
“We want to make the whole process fun for everyone, too,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey also plans to be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment March 2 at the center, 301 N. Main, to help people apply online for the Missouri Property Tax Credit. Seniors who qualify may receive up to $750 annually if they are renters or $1,100 if they own their homes. To make an appointment, call the center at 417-667-5847.
The senior center serves lunch beginning with soup and salad at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. The meal is available for a contribution for people 60 and older and for the cost of the meal for others.
The Neal Center is one of 23 locations operated by Care Connection for Aging Services, an area agency on aging serving 13 counties in West Central Missouri, including Vernon. Other services available to seniors through the center include health screenings, wellness and prevention programs, care management, Medicare counseling, fraud prevention and long-term care advocacy. For more information, call 1-800-748-7826.