Resources Shared at the Senior Expo in Southfield

(Crystal A. Proxmire, Sept. 30, 2024)

Southfield, MI – The Southfield Senior Summit, hosted by State Senator Jeremy Moss, provided an opportunity for scores of older adults and their families a chance to come together to talk about the challenges facing people as they age, and to learn about different organizations and businesses that can help.

Among those with a booth at the event was the Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan, with volunteer Karen Kline on hand to answer questions. Kline is a Community Education Specialist who makes several presentations a week at senior centers, libraries, community centers, senior housing, and other places where education about Alzhemie’rs can be of help.

The presentations are personal for Kline. In 2010 her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and in the seven years following that diagnosis, Kline relied on the information and support she found at the Association. When her mother died in 2017, she felt she “needed to give back to Alzheimer’s Association for all they had done for us.”

Sometimes that meant the calm and necessary work of learning about the disease, and sometimes that meant her “calling at 1:30 in the morning so I could cry on someone’s shoulder,” Kline said.

It even meant having guidance as far as the legal issues of being someone’s caregiver. “It’s hard to think about wills and power of attorneys, and some people don’t even know what they might need. This gives a framework to know how to do all that.”

Alzheimer’s Association can even help people navigate challenging discussions with aging patients. One of the most common requests they see is from people who want to know when it’s time for their parents to stop driving, and how to handle that situation with compassion and independent information.

“It’s so important that we share as much as possible,” Kline said. “People have to know they are not alone.”

At another booth was Gregory Keller, a Senior Advisor for Southfield and Royal Oak Township through Oakland County Older Adult Services. His job is to do outreach in the community, “to make sure people know what’s going on,” he said.

He’s been an advisor for two years. “I am a senior,” he said, “and I love being able to help other seniors, all the good talks we have, knowing that it makes a difference.”

Keller said that a lot of the people who reach out are adults who are caring for their parents as they age. “We offer training for caregivers,” he said. They also offer connections to services through Oakland County Health Division and other agencies. Their website also lists senior centers throughout the county.

Keller’s boss is Jim Ellison, a former State Representative and Mayor or Royal Oak, who now serves as Chief of the Older Adult Services. Ellison spoke at the event, along with several other representatives from local, county, and state government.

The event is hosted each year by State Senator Jeremy Moss. This year he brought with him State Representatives Natalie Price, Jason Hoskins, and Samantha Steckloff, along with Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, Southfield Mayor Ken Siver, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The State officials touted efforts in Lansing to support seniors, including a bill to reduce the cost of insulin, protecting seniors and those with disabilities from abuse, working on increasing housing accessibility, and phasing out the state’s pension tax. Moss hosted a similar event in Pontiac later in the month.

AG Nessel gave a presentation about scams, including the most recent scam called “pig butchering” where fraudsters seem to stumble upon their victims though a test or message that seems meant for someone else, but really is an attempt to start a conversation. The conversation leads to more conversations, and they build a friendship before finding a way to get money from their “friend.” A full story about the presentation can be found here.

County Commissioner Linnie Taylor, who represents Southfield, was also in attendance. She told Oakland County Times “I love my seniors, and we’re so lucky to have Senator Jeremy Moss and Attorney General Dana Nessel to put on events like this to provide resources for our seniors.”

When asked what older adults in her community need, Taylor shared that people have questions about healthcare and making that accessible and affordable, as well as food access, support for mental health needs, ways to stay active and maintain friendships, and places for exercise and recreation.

“At the county we’ve been investing in seniors and in our parks and recreation throughout the county,” Taylor said. “There is even a specialist from Oakland County Older Adult Services that works in Southfield to serve our population.” She also was proud of Oakland County Parks and Recreation for offering free annual passes for Oakland County seniors aged 62+.

Also on hand was the Michigan Gaming Control Board, with their campaign Don’t Regret the Bet. With the proliferation of online betting sites, it’s easy for people of any age to loose track of the money they spend on gambling.

Briona Taylor’s job is to let people know about the risks of gambling addiction. “We offer support programs and diversion programs, so if someone you love has a problem, we can help,” she said.

The Don’t Regret the Bet website has a quiz to gauge if someone is betting responsibly, tips on how to keep gambling fun, and a way to self-exclude from gaming activities. There are links to Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-Anon, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and more. Those who need immediate help can call the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-270-7117. There is even information on Signs of Problem Gambling in Seniors.

The site lists signs of a gambling problem, including if someone is neglecting bills, if they are using saving or investments to gamble, if they have increased credit card debt because of gambling, if they are neglecting health or personal needs, if they have mood changes with wins and losses, and if they are withdrawing from family, friends, and regular activities.

“When you see someone lose their life savings it can be devastating,” Taylor said. “That’s why we want everyone to know about this website.”