Welcome to the October 2005 Seniors Digest

By Timmie Faghin

If you are like me, you spent the month of September overwhelmed by the tragic images and words coming from the Gulf Coast area. The events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have motivated many us to focus more on the personal safety of ourselves and loved ones.

This month, our Seniors Digest focus is on safety, in several important areas: disaster preparedness, preventing elder abuse, and advocacy. While there are some subjects that most people would rather not think about, seniors and those who care about seniors can gain an increased sense of empowerment by tackling challenging issues head on.

City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen recently sponsored a City Hall forum on Elder Abuse, and shares with us some of the information presented there.

Advisory Council Member John Barnett tells us about the benefits of serving as a long-term care ombudsman.

Learn about the basics of emergency preparedness, and the special issues older adults need to think about in developing a disaster survival plan.

Also in this issue:

• More information about the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
• "Emergency Supply Kit" Wordfind

For More Information....

Check out SeniorsDigest.org, our national companion website. The Seniors Digest Resource Center includes a "library" of quality links, and is a great place to begin your search for information about issues of interest to seniors and their families.

We hope you will refer to our electronic pages often to obtain advice, to learn of new and exciting services, and to offer us your constructive feedback.

Read Seniors Digest and tell us what you think. We are here to help.

Timmie Faghin, Chair
Seattle-King County Advisory Council
on Aging and Disability Services

More about John Barnett

Seattle King County Advisory Council for Aging and Disability Services Councilmember John Barnett studied at the University of Washington, pursuing graduate studies both there and abroad. He worked at the U.S. Educational (Fulbright) Commission in Japan, managing the exchange of scholars between the USA and Japan. He later opened an office in Tokyo, representing the information and publications service of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

John is a healthy aging advocate who authored the book, How To Feel Good As You Age. He serves on the Washington State AARP Executive Council and is a State Certified Long-Term Care Ombudsman. (See "What's In Your Future" in this issue of Seniors Digest, where John tells us more about his experiences as an ombudsman.) For ten years he has volunteered at a hospice in-patient center providing emotional support to patients. John will also serve as a delegate at the upcoming White House Conference on Aging.

John and his wife Yoko were married in Japan in 1962. John will quickly remind you that they were the first John and Yoko!

About the Advisory Council

We are a volunteer citizens' group working to create choices for elders and adults with disabilities in Seattle-King County. We do this by identifying, advising and advocating for programs that promote quality of life for these populations.

Aging & Disability Services, Seattle Human Services Department and The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging