Senior News May, 2003 Vol. 22. No.  5

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Big plant sale May 10 FADHS clients have a hand in their garden

Natoinal Council on Aging and American Society on Aging meet to enhance growing older

MSSP turns 20 Vital service has to be cut back by 13 people per month

Serving older Americans

McKinleyville Seniors driving safely

What is Olmstead and why should you care?

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McKinleyville
Seniors driving safely
by Barbara Ogden

    Here at the McKinleyville Senior Center our goal is to
improve the quality of life of the seniors in our community. One of
our big issues and concerns is seniors and their ability to drive as
long as possible and as safely as possible.
    We are true advocates of the 55 Alive Driving classes. We
schedule a new class practically as soon as one class has been
completed. Our classes usually are held on Saturdays and are always
full.
    To be honest, most seniors take this class to get the
discount on their insurance. This is great-in today's economy, every
dime counts, but this is not the reason we put so much emphasis on
these classes. 55 Alive classes make mature drivers better drivers
and can help them to drive safely longer. 55 Alive classes teach
seniors how to drive defensively, deal with aggressive drivers,
adjust to vision and hearing loss and much more.
    Not only do we care about seniors' driving ability, we want
to help as much as possible with driving tests. This is a real fear
to most seniors. The DMV is a scary place. Wendy Lange from the DMV
talked to our seniors recently and made the DMV seem more user
friendly-and the DMV really wants seniors to drive as long as they
safely can. Here at the center we keep a good supply of DMV manuals,
and we have a good supply of different tests seniors can borrow to
study.

Auto maintenance:
    Not only do we care about seniors driving safely and
succeeding on their driver's tests, but there's more. We are
concerned about their vehicles. We feel seniors should know how to
take care of their cars. This is important to their safety while
driving.
    On Wednesday, May 28, from 7-9 a.m. here at Azalea Hall, a
good friend of ours, Cal Chaney, the former owner of the UNICAL
station on Central Ave. in McKinleyville. Cal has probably has taken
care of a lot of our seniors' cars for years. He will give a basic
vehicle maintenance course, or automotive 101 as we call it.
    Sponsored by the McKinleyville Parks & Rec Department, Cal will teach
a basic understanding of vehicle maintenance-how to inspect your
vehicle's tires, brakes, wiper blades, lights, glass, doors and check
for leaks. He will also tell how to check under the hood for safety
precautions.
    The fee for this class is only $16, and it might save you a
lot. Most seniors have a mechanic or use a dealer for maintenance.
But how do you know what to tell someone that your car needs if you
don't know yourself? Or how do you know work has been done to your
car before you pay for it?
    Cal will address all of this and much more. For more
information about this basic maintenance class, 55 Alive classes, or
help with your driver's test, call me at 839-0191. We want you to
have the freedom of your wheels as long as you can safely drive. Help
us help you by being an informed, safe senior driver.
Barbara Ogden is director of the McKinleyville Senior Center.