Central Oregon’s landscape is a magnificent mosaic of high desert plains, towering mountains, and winding rivers. Amidst this rugged beauty live native plant species perfectly adapted to the region’s climate and soil conditions. If gardening in Central Oregon is one of your hobbies, you may want to recreate the region’s natural beauty in your own yard with native plants. Planting native flora in your garden offers many benefits, ranging from environmental conservation to practical gardening advantages. Some of these benefits include: Requiring less water, fertilizer, pruning, pest control, an ..read more

Central Oregon is no stranger to growth.  Since the Council on Aging of Central Oregon’s founding almost 50 years ago, Central Oregon has experienced a 428% population increase and undergone significant demographic shifts. This rapid growth has created a dynamic and evolving community, but also poses challenges and opportunities for our organization to address the needs of residents. We know that the demand for our services will grow significantly in the upcoming years. Overall, the tri-county population is expected to rise 40% by 2047 and those who are 60+ will increase by 54%. By t ..read more

Our furry friends bring joy to our households, but they are also a big responsibility. In general, adult dogs need to be walked for 20-30 minutes each day depending on their age, breed, and health. But that’s not always possible for some pet owners, especially those who face mobility challenges.  As a dog owner with a disability, the inability to take your furry friend for walks might seem like a significant hurdle in providing them with the mental and physical stimulation they need. However, being physically unable to go for a walk doesn’t mean you can’t still engage your canine compan ..read more

As technology has grown in complexity, it has become hard to tell if images and videos are real or computer generated. These new computer systems, called artificial intelligence (AI), are able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as mimicking movement, recognizing speech patterns, making decisions, and translating languages. With society’s newfound ability to easily manipulate images and videos with AI, distinguishing between the real and the artificial has become challenging. This could spell danger if bad actors create false content meant to scare people or spread ..read more

Dear friends, donors, volunteers, and supporters, As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to share with you our 2023 recap and the tremendous impact and progress we have made at the Council on Aging of Central Oregon thanks to your unwavering support and dedication to our mission. From January through October 2023, the nutrition team and partner sites around the tri-county delivered 92,522 Meals on Wheels and served 32,628 meals to seniors at community dining. Our information and referral team fielded 4,564 calls and visits, directing clients to vital resources around the area. To keep th ..read more

In the digital age, hacking and fraud are increasing, and seniors are especially vulnerable to the latest scams. Protect yourself by being aware of the newest ways scammers will try to trick you. Medicare Medicare scams are rampant during open enrollment. Here are signs to be aware of: Promises of free items or services: Scammers will offer valuable medical equipment, ask for your Medicare number, and then use that information to file high-cost Medicare claims in your name. Pressure to switch Medicare plans: A scammer may say you’re “pre-approved” for a new health care or drug plan with ..read more

Home health care fraud involves home health agencies  and individual fraudsters billing for services that were not provided or not medically necessary, which negatively impacts seniors and our health care system.  According to Social Science & Medicine, home health care fraud has been rapidly increasing since the early 2000s. Medicare Parts A and B cover intermittent or short-term home health services, but there are requirements that must be met in order to receive payment. To be eligible for home health care coverage from Medicare: Your doctor must determine it is medically nec ..read more

By Barbara Croyle “There are six myths about old age: 1. That it’s a disease, a disaster. 2. That we are mindless. 3.That we are sexless. 4. That we are useless. 5. That we are powerless. 6. That we are all alike.” Maggie Kuhn, Founder of the Gray Panthers “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” Gabriel García Márquez, Author “By the time you’re 80 years old you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” George Burns, Comedian Which of these quotes can you relate to? And did you laugh at the last one ..read more

DONATE TO HELP SENIORS KEEP THEIR PETS For someone who is homebound, their pets can be the most important companion in their life. These furry friends ensure that people have something that brings them delight and love.  As animal lovers, we are committed to helping homebound people and their pets thrive in their homes. That’s why the Council on Aging has a program called Pet Pals. The program provides pet food, supplies, and veterinary care to Meals on Wheels recipients to make sure that they never have to choose between taking care of themselves or their companions.  We’re hosting ..read more

Summer is produce season, and the Council on Aging of Central Oregon (CoA) is celebrating the harvest bounty with a freshly established partnership with Seed to Table. Thanks to weekly vegetable donations direct from the four-acre farm in Sisters, OR, CoA will be enriching meals offered through Meals on Wheels and Community Dining programs with kale, salad mix, tomatoes, summer squash, fennel and more, all in-season and picked that week. These two nonprofits are both dedicated to the health and wellness of the Central Oregon community, CoA through its meal programs and nutrition education, and ..read more