Social Service Coordinator/Veteran's Agent,
Bob Fahey
APPLICATIONS FOR FUEL ASSISTANCE are being processed now. To apply for Fuel Assistance please call (508) 520-4973 to make an appointment and find out what documentation is required.
TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS TO BOSTON, WORCESTER and other destinations is now available with GATRA through Foxfield Taxi. To schedule an appointment, just call Foxfield Taxi at 800-585-8294.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS & BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FRANKLIN SENIOR CENTER: Food Stamps, Handicapped Placards, Homestead Act, Health Care Proxy, Mass Health, Prescription Advantage, and the Elder Home Repair Program; please call for more information.
REAL ESTATE TAX RELIEF:You may be entitled to a $500 Real Estate Tax Abatement if you are 70 or older as of July 1, 2009, have been living in Massachusetts for 10 years, have owned and occupied a Mass property for 5 years, and meet the following criteria:
* Single and your income last year was $17,613 or less and your assets (not including your home) are $28,980 or less.
* Married and your income last year was $21,762 or less and your assets (not including your home) are $31,050 or less.
If you are above these limits, you may be entitled to a lesser abatement of $280 if:
* Your assets (checking, savings bonds, etc.) not including your home were $41,400 or less AND
* You are a surviving spouse; or single, 70 or older as of July 1, 2009 OR
* You are married and one spouse was age 70 or older as of July 1, 2009.
SAVE THE DATE: Learn more about these local tax abatements on Friday, October 16 At 10:00 a.m. Assessor Kevin Doyle and Board of Assessors member, Ken Norman will be here to present the options, review income and asset guidelines. If you think you are eligible, we will make an appointment for you to meet with a trained volunteer to complete the application here at the Senior Center. Please call to sign up for this presentation.
The state also offers Tax Deferrals of local real estate taxes with an interest rate that is tied to the MA Municipal Depository Trust rate, currently at around 5%. Exemptions for seniors who are veterans, blind, or low income (with income not exceeding $20,000 in the calendar year preceding the year of application) are also available. Applications can be accepted after July 1 for fiscal year 2009. You may also qualify for the Circuit Breaker Tax Credit of up to $900 if you pay more than 10% of your income in real estate taxes and water and sewer bills. For more information, call Bob Fahey at 508 520-4973.
SHINE (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders): For information about health insurance issues, call to make an appointment with our SHINE counselor.
VETERANS BENEFITS: There has been an increase in the amount of Property Tax Exemptions available to certain Disabled Veterans or their survivors. Please call Bob Fahey, Veterans Agent (508 520-4973) for more information, or to learn more about Veteran’s benefits.
PROJECT LIFESAVER provides a wrist bracelet with a radio transmitter to individuals with dementia who are at risk for wandering off. Should the individual wander, the caregiver notifies the police, and a search and rescue team is deployed with a mobile radio receiver to track the signal. To date, all the individuals wearing Project Lifesaver wrist bands have been retrieved safely within 30 minutes. The program is sponsored by the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office along with TRIAD and the Franklin Rotary has made a generous donation to Project Lifesaver to help serve Franklin residents. The Franklin Police Department has been trained in search and rescue protocol for this program by the Sheriff's office. The cost for the program is nominal and can be waived for low income individuals. For more information, call the
Council on Aging at 520-4945.
THE MASS HEALTH BUY IN can pay for your Medicare Part B premium if you qualify. Seniors are eligible if monthly income before taxes and deductions for individuals is below $1,123 and assets are below $4,000. For married couples, combined monthly income is below $1,505 and assets are below $6,000. For more information, call Bob Fahey at the number below.
CELL PHONES are available to seniors to be used for emergency 911 calls. If interested, stop by the Center to obtain your phone.
THE CAREGIVERS GUIDE is a compendium of support services, resources, considerations, and advice for caregivers who are caring for a loved one. The guide is offered free of charge by the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging, and is available at the Franklin Senior Center. Call or come by to obtain a copy.
ARE YOU OKAY? This is an effective way to maintain your safety and independence. This free service provides a daily telephone call from the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office to assure that you are safe and secure in your home. The calls can be received every day at a time chosen between 6 a.m. and noon. All calls are monitored by a deputy sheriff. When a call comes in, the subscriber answers and hears a recorded voice asking “Are you okay?” The subscriber may answer “yes” and simply hang up. If something is wrong, the subscriber would say “no” and the deputy sheriff will pick up the phone to find out the problem and take appropriate action. If a subscriber does not answer the call, the computer automatically places a second call in 5 minutes. If there is still no answer, the
deputy sheriff will call a designated family member or friend to inform them. In some cases, the deputy will contact the local police and ask them to go to the person’s home. If a subscriber plans on being away, a simple phone call to the sheriff’s office will discontinue the calls and reactivate them when the subscriber returns. The service is flexible in that one can subscribe for a short period of time, for example, after a hospital stay. Call today for more information about this great service.
ELDER ABUSE most likely comes from someone the elder knows. Anyone can report elder abuse with immunity from civil and criminal liability that could result from making a report as long as they report in good faith. Call the Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2775.
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