Seniors' Week and Beyond!

Seniors" Outreach Update

SENIORS’ OUTREACH UPDATE

We have completed our income tax program for this year and were happy to serve over 70 clients in our area. We are now looking forward to offering some new programs, and we are in need of volunteers to help us make them work for our community.  We would be most grateful for your help in any of the following areas: 

·         Would you like to be a Handyman Helper? Are you skilled in minor home repairs, plumbing, electricity etc. and willing to give some time to help a senior with these?

·         Do you have a pickup truck and would you be willing to take small loads to the dump/compost for seniors who do not have the means to get it there themselves?

·         Would you like to be a Friendly Visitor, visiting a shut-in senior, or making a phone-call to a senior to share a friendly conversation?

·         Would you like to be a Senior Sitter, giving time to offer a short daytime break to a caregiver by staying with a senior who requires someone to be present at all times?

If you are interested in helping with any of the above services, even if you are only able to offer a small amount of time, please contact the Seniors’ Outreach Office at 780-786-2416.  We will greatly appreciate any help that you are able to offer, and will respect your individual schedules and time limitations.

We also offer a Good Morning Program, with regular calls made from our office to check in with seniors living on their own, to keep them connected with the community and available services. If you are in need of the above services, or know someone who is, please give us a call or help us connect by sharing our contact information so people know these services are available.

We also encourage seniors to volunteer, as we believe that everyone has something to offer and we value your participation.  Volunteering benefits both giver and receiver, and we hope that even those who are housebound will be able to share in the success of programs, such as offering phone-calls to other seniors in need of company.  Please join us in helping seniors to stay connected to each other and to the community at large. Again, the number is 780-786-2416.  We look forward to hearing from you! 

Beware of fraudulent emails

We have recently been made aware of a string of fraudulent emails that appear to be coming from the Canada Revenue Agency.  The most recent one tells you that you are eligible for a further tax refund and that you need to visit a certain web page to start the process.


 DO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THIS TYPE OF EMAIL!

If the Canada Revenue Agency wants to contact you, they will do so personally, not by adding you to some mailing list.  Reminder: do not click on links within an email unless you are absolutely sure you know the person who sent it and that it is safe.  Any email that appears to be from a company or agency asking for your personal information is probably a fraud.  When in doubt, call the company directly and ask them what is going on.  They will be able to help you.  Otherwise, just ignore the emails and delete them.

October Update

There is a particular unwanted phonecall going around recently and after you answer the phone, it goes something like this: “Hello we are calling about some problems with your Windows computer.” At that point, if you allow them to continue, you will be asked to go to your computer to check things out and the caller will supposedly walk you through some steps to find out if your computer is working properly or not.  DO NOT GO ALONG WITH THIS!  First of all, if you were having problems with your computer, nobody else would know unless they were right there using it.  Secondly, you have no way of knowing who they are, so do not give them any information about your computer or yourself.  This can be an easy means for them to gain access to your computer from outside, with your cooperation!  The easiest thing to do is tell them you are not interested and hang up immediately.  I decided to mention this particular scheme here because I know that more and more seniors are taking the plunge and getting into the world of computers, making great efforts to learn and to stay connected with this technology.  It can be disturbing to get a call from someone who is telling you that they suspect your computer has issues, an internet problem, a virus etc. and if you are new to computers it would be easy to panic and think that you should let them help you check and fix your system.   I have received these calls myself, and the funniest part for me is that they always insist they are calling about my Windows computer and I don’t even have one!  When I tell them that, the call usually ends rather abruptly.  There is no “outside” monitoring system that keeps track of how well your computer is working.  Remember:  they know NOTHING about your computer unless you tell them yourself, so don’t fall for it.

The second thing I wanted to mention here is that when you are on the internet you will undoubtedly encounter the pop-up window at some time or another.  These are advertising windows and you should ignore them.  Many of them are now designed to look just like other windows you see on your computer every day so it gets confusing for users, but you can safely ignore windows that pop up and tell you that your internet connection is too slow and you should click on their button to speed it up, or that your computer is infected with some virus so you should click on their button to clean your system and buy protection, or that you should click on a button to win a prize etc.  Again, I do not own a Windows computer, but I receive messages that look like they are part of Windows and they are telling me that my Windows system is corrupted!  At best these notices are a means to sell you something you don’t need.  At worst, they are opportunities for others to infect your system by having you download a file or by redirecting you to a site with nuisance software on it.  Just close them and ignore them.  By following a few simple safety guidelines, your internet experiences can be fun and enlightening.  If you have concerns about how your computer is working, contact a reputable service technician who can help you but do not fall prey to the random caller no matter how knowledgeable they sound.

Lastly, if you use email, avoid clicking on any links within emails that suggest taking you to a web site where you can pay a bill, change a password, view personal information about yourself or an account you have etc. even if the email appears to come from the appropriate business.  People who commit online fraud are very good at mimicking the logos of various legitimate organizations, sending emails with links in them, and then wrongly using whatever information you give them.  Ignore any such emails, or bring them to the attention of an anti-fraud organization for further investigation, and remember that the legitimate companies/banks will not send you emails with this type of link in them.  

If you have questions about phonecalls, emails or other material you are not sure about, please feel free to check with me at the office (780-786-2416) and I will help you out the best I can.  

New office space and phone number

The renovations on our building are now complete and you will find the Seniors' Outreach Office in the entrance area of the Community Services Building (formerly the Mayerthorpe Friendship Centre), just to the left of the main door on the corner.

Our phone number has also been changed, so you can now reach the office at 780-786-2416 ext. 28.  This is the main number for the Town Office, so during their office hours you won't need to use the extension, just ask to be connected to the Seniors' Outreach and they will put you through.  The extension number will be handy for you if you call after hours and wish to leave a message.

Drop by for a visit and have a look at the changes we have made to better serve all our clients.  We look forward to seeing you!