Seniors take action
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Betsey Exline isn't happy only a few seniors are attending the bi-weekly Seniors Taking Action meetings at the Fairfield Community Arts Center.
"It irritates me that more people don't show up because every week they learn something that helps older people," Exline said of the usual dozen or so participants. "It's always something important for seniors."
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The elderly action group hosts speakers from local and regional officials to police and firefighters, and topics have ranged from Medicare Part D and Social Security issues to estate planning and identity theft.
Exline got mad in 2000 about the issues seniors were having with HMOs. She was dropped by her own HMO. After attending meeting after meeting, and talking with a representative from Pro Seniors, she got angrier.
Exline submitted a letter to the editor to the "Journal-News" to hold a meeting about HMOs.
But the 91 people that showed up at Garfield Junior High School in Hamilton thought Exline was going to tell them which insurance company to sign up with.
"I just wanted to get information and try and start helping people," Exline said.
Ronald Miller got involved with Seniors Taking Action about 18 months ago and drives from the west side of Hamilton to Fairfield every first and third Monday for the meetings.
"It's helped me tremendously," Miller said. "It's helped me save money on the (prescription) drugs, and it's enlightened me on the different agencies in the county I didn't know existed, although I don't need to use them."
He said if more people came to the meetings, "They would be interested in what (the speakers) have to say."
Bette Collins agreed, saying the speakers are enlightening.
"I think every guest that we have I have learned something that gives me to compare it to things I knew, or have changed my view," said Collins, who drives from her Hamilton home off Hamilton-Cleves Road to the Fairfield meetings.
On Monday, Seniors Taking Action will host Mary Wolff of Citizens for Elderly Services. She will speak on advocacy.
Meetings are held at 2 p.m. on the first and third Mondays and last about 90 minutes.
For more information, call Exline at (513) 868-6593.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.
