Senior Corner

Fun events planned for Uxbridge Seniors

The Uxbridge Senior Center is located at 36 South Main Street in Uxbridge. The following is a list of upcoming events. VETERANS SERVICES

Thursday, August 4th – 10:30 am-11:30 am Veterans’ Services with Carl Bradshaw by appointment only. Call 508-278-8622 to sign up. POP UP LIBRARY

Thursdays, August 4th & 18th – 11:30 am – 12:30 pm – “PopUp Library”. Books will be on display to check out, library card signups, book hold pick-ups, etc. This program being offered by the Uxbridge Free Public Library. LUNCH & LEARN

Friday, August 5th – 12:00 pm Lunch & Learn with Chief Montminy His guest speaker will be Lisa Sternbane from Hannaford Supermarket and she will talk about scams they see. Call ahead to reserve your lunch. BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, August 9th – 1:00 pm – Uxbridge Library Book Club. Reading The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. All are welcome to join us for lunch on this day. Please remember to RSVP. Tuesday, August 9th – 1:00 pm – Benefit Enrollment Specialist –Tri-Valley, Inc. Call the senior center to book an appointment with Katelynn Wackell. Next date will be Sept. 13th. CANASTA KICK OFF

Wednesday, August 10th– 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm – Kick off date for “Canasta” Hand, Knee & Foot Card Game! This will be played every Wednesday afternoon with Phyllis Dunn and Betsy Edsall. Please call ahead to sign up and also let us know if you will be joining us for lunch. PLANTER CRAFT

Thursday, August 11th – 1:30 pm – Planter Craft with Sally! Cost is $7.00 per person. Please call ahead or stop in to sign up! WATER COLOR PAINTING

Monday, August 15th, 22nd & 29th – 1:30 pm – Water Color Painting with Susan Franz. Please call ahead to sign up and let us know if you will be joining us for lunch. DR. BIANCAMANO

Thursday, August 18th – 8:30 am – Podiatrist Dr. Biancamano will be available for appointments. Please call ahead to book yours. Friday, August 19th – Ice-cream Social during lunch! Thank you to Hannaford Supermarket for sponsoring this event! Be sure to sign up early for lunch and enjoy a Sundae for dessert! ASK THE ATTORNEY

Monday, August 22nd - 1:30 pm – “Ask the Attorney” with Attorney Ralph Tepper by appointment only. Please Call 508-278-8622 to schedule your appointment at the Uxbridge Senior center. SHINE

Tuesday, August 23rd – 9:00 am – SHINE Appointments available for health insurance questions with Pat Nectow. Please call 508-2788622 to schedule.

ASK THE NURSE

Tuesday, August 23rd – 11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Ask the Nurse Free Blood Pressure Clinic with Celeste Kopech, Salmon Health VNA. RSVP to participate and to join us for lunch. TRIP TO THE MOVIES

Wednesday, August 24th – Movie Trip to Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema De Lux with lunch at Wendy’s. Senior movie ticket price: $7.75 and popcorn & soda $4.50 – Movie & Time TBA and space on van is limited.

POUT POND

Tuesday, August 30th – 11:00 am – 1:00 pm - Pout Pond Lunch Outing! We will be playing BINGO with Sally! Van rides are available or you can also meet us there! Call ahead to RSVP. Card Game played on Monday and BINGO on Wednesday during our congregate lunches. DONATIONS NEEDED

The senior center is in need of the following donations: Newly packaged napkins, paper towels, tissues, toilet paper, ground regular & decaf coffee. We thank you for your support! SHOPPING TRIP KNITTING CLUB

Knitting Club every Tuesday @ 1:30 pm – Come join the fun! WALKING CLUB

Every Wednesday @ *9:00 am – Sally’s Walking Club. This is weather permitting. Meeting spot is the Blackstone Valley Greenway located on Adams Street in S. Uxbridge. This is incorporated with The Walk Mass Challenge! *No Walking Club on August 24th. BANK & PHARMACY RIDES

1st and 3rd Wednesday – August 3rd & 17th @ 10:00 am – Bank & Pharmacy Rides. Please call at least 24 hours in advance. FOPPEMA’S FARM STAND

1st and 3rd Thursdays: August 4th & 18th – 8:30 am - Foppema’s Farm Stand Shopping Trips. Call at least 24 hours in advance. SHAWS/OCEAN STATE SHOPPING RIDES

2nd and 4th Thursdays: August 11th & 25th – 8:30 am - Shaws/ Ocean State Shopping Rides. Call at least 24 hours in advance. MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION

Medical Transportation is accepting appointments. Call 508-2788622 to schedule your rides. Feel free to contact us at 508-278-8622 or visit us on our web page at Uxbridge-ma.gov/coa or like us on our FB page or by googling Uxbridge Senior Center and our new YouTube Channel or even dropping by. Online at: https://www.Facebook.com/UxbridgeMASeniorCenter, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNh_RIq99rucmFHUO7VFBw or https://www.uxbridgetv.org/schedule/192.

Plummer Place announces August Events

Plummer Place: Home of the

Northbridge Senior Center has released the following upcoming events. The center can be reached at 508-234-2002.

Open Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. –4:00 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Veterans' Services Rep. Carl Bradshaw will be at Plummer Place the sec-

ond Tuesday of every month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. beginning August 9th.

Exercise Classes at Plummer Place:

Mondays: Chair Exercise/Drumming @ 9:30 a.m. and Tai Chi @ 11:00 a.m., Tuesdays: Strength Class at 1:00 p.m. Wednesdays: Low Impact Aerobics @ 10:00 and Tap @ 2:30 p.m., Thursdays: Joy of Movement @ 10:00 a.m. and Chair Yoga @ 11:15 a.m., Fridays: Stretch & Strengthen @ 9:30 a.m.

“Take a Hike” will meet August 9th at Upton State Forest and August 23rd at SNETT-South Street Douglas. Call Jeanne for more information.

Scrabble meets Monday, August 8th and August 22nd at 10:00 a.m. Call Jeanne for more information.

Get your hair done at Plummer Place. Licensed hair stylist, Darlene Santoro is offering men’s and women’s haircuts, men’s beard trimming, and waxing of eyebrows, lip or chin. Darlene also offers home hair care for those

who cannot get out. Please call the Center to book your next appointment on August 18th from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Senator Moore Office Hour:

Wednesday, August 10th @ 9:30 a.m. Book Club will meet Wednesday, August 17th @ 10:30 a.m. Call Michelle to find out what book we are read-

ing. Women’s Discussion Group and Coffee Hour, Wednesday afternoons from 1-2:00 pm. August dates are the 10th and the 24th. Come hang out with friends and meet new ones in this infor-

mal discussion group, topics unknown! Call Amy to sign up or for more information.

Salmon VNA Blood Pressure Clinic, Tuesday August 9th 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Pitch League is starting in September. If you are interested in joining this new league at Plummer Place, call Michelle to be put on the list. They will be playing Mondays from 9-11:00 a.m. Meet the Author: Mark Der-

Mugrditchian at Plummer Place, Thursday, August 11th @ 12:45 p.m. Mark is a local author of the book

“4 Strokes West” and he will discuss

the story of his trip cross-country from MA to CA on his motorcycle. Light refreshments will be served, call the Center to reserve a spot. AARP Smart Driver Course: August 18th and 19th 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Plummer Place with instructor Phyllis Masso. Learn proven safety strategies to help keep you safe while on the road. After taking the course, you may even be eligible for a discount on your car insurance! (consult your auto insurance agent for details). The classroom course is $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members. Space is limited, register now by calling Michelle at 508-234-2002. Please note you must attend both days.

Soter supports legislation to empower patients with options

State Representative Michael Soter (R-Bellingham) recently voted to support legislation that will give patients more of a say in pursuing a specific course of medical treatment recom-

mended by their doctor rather than by their insurance company. House Bill 4929, An Act relative to step therapy and patient safety, was recently engrossed by the House of Representatives on a vote of 153-0.

Representative Soter said House Bill 4929 will protect consumers from an insurance practice known as step therapy, or “fail first”, which mandates that a patient must first try one or more preferred treatments dictated by an insurance company before they can be covered for a specific treatment recommended by a clinician. Although the bill does not ban step therapy, it calls for greater transparency by providing patients with the ability to request an exemption and the right to a speedy appeals process. The House bill outlines four specific circumstances under which a patient appeal can be triggered, including instances where: the required treatment will harm the patient; the required treatment is expected to be ineffective; the patient previously tried the required treatment, or a similar treatment, and it proved to be ineffective or harmed the patient; or the patient is stable on a current treatment and switching treatments will harm the patient “This is a great step towards a more people-oriented way of health care,” Representative Soter commented. “Since the inception of the bill, I immediately recognized its benefits for individuals. This newly given ability to have direct access to otherwise distant

medications is something that should've been done a long time ago. This will allow more citizens to get the help they deserve.” According to Representative Soter, House Bill 4929 requires MassHealth and commercial insurers to provide “continuity of coverage” to patients so they can continue to receive their clinician-preferred method of treatment while their request for a step therapy exemption is reviewed. The bill also requires that a step therapy exemption request be approved or denied within three business days but mandates a decision within one business day if a delay would cause harm to the patient. It also provides for an appeals process if a patient’s request for an exemption is denied.

Representative Soter noted that 30 other states already have some form of step therapy protocols in place to protect patients, including Connecticut, Maine and New York.

House Bill 4929 now moves to the

Senate for its consideration.