A newsletter for Wyoming AARP members that discusses relevant and current topics impacting the 50+ population in the state. Volume 3 Issue 2
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e AARP Wyoming NEWS In is Issue... Local volunteers recognized - 2016 Legislative Session - Love of the outdoors - And much more... December 2015 C athy Gonzales of Cheyenne has been selected by AARP to receive the 2015 AARP Wyoming Andrus Award for Community Service -- the Association’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award. Named for AARP founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, the award recognizes outstanding individuals who are making a powerful difference in their communities in ways that advance AARP’s mission, vision, and commitment to volunteer service and that inspire others to volunteer. AARP Wyoming selected Gonzales for her remarkable service which has greatly benefited her community, supported AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers. Gonzale’s work has impacted both the state of Wyoming and its communities. She has served as the AARP Wyoming state president for the last six years. She also served on the all-volunteer AARP Wyoming Government Relations Team at the State Capitol for six years, successfully lobbying for improved consumer protections, grandparent rights and aging services programs. Gonzales is a retired high school English teacher and district negotiator. She still works part time for the Wyoming Association of Government Affairs Network (Wyoming Retailers Assoc., Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association). She also serves on the Governor’s Food Safety Council. She is a staunch advocate for retired teachers, those on fixed incomes, and helping to make communities more age friendly. “Cathy is a shining example of how volunteering can help make your community and state a better place to live, work and share with others,” says AARP Wyoming State Director Tim Summers. “AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors, and the programs they serve.” Recipients were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve the community in or for which the work was performed, and inspire others to volunteer. Cheyenne volunteer recognized with prestigous Andrus Award Volunteers recognized AARP Wyoming also took the opportunity to recognize volunteers, partners and advocates across the state for the dedication to their communities and the state in October. Read more on page 10
Local volunteers recognized - 2016 Legislative Session - Love of the outdoors - And much more...
December 2015
Cathy Gonzales of Cheyenne has been selected by AARP to receive the 2015
AARP Wyoming Andrus Award for Community Service -- the Association’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award.
Named for AARP founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, the award recognizes outstanding individuals who are making a powerful difference in their communities in ways that advance AARP’s mission, vision, and commitment to volunteer service and that inspire others to volunteer.
AARP Wyoming selected Gonzales for her remarkable service which has greatly benefited her community, supported AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers.
Gonzale’s work has impacted
both the state of Wyoming and its communities. She has served as the AARP Wyoming state
president for the last six years.
She also served on the all-volunteer AARP Wyoming Government Relations Team at the State Capitol for six years, successfully lobbying for improved consumer
protections, grandparent rights and aging services programs.
Gonzales is a retired high school English teacher and district negotiator.
She still works part time for the Wyoming Association of Government Affairs Network (Wyoming Retailers Assoc., Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association). She also serves on the Governor’s Food Safety Council.
She is a staunch advocate for retired teachers, those on fixed incomes, and helping to make communities more age friendly.
“Cathy is a shining example of how volunteering can help make your community and state a better place to live, work and share with others,” says AARP Wyoming State Director Tim Summers.
“AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors, and the programs they serve.”
Recipients were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve the community in or for which the work was performed, and inspire others to volunteer.
Cheyenne volunteer recognized with prestigous Andrus Award
Volunteers recognized AARP Wyoming also took the opportunity to recognize volunteers, partners and advocates across the state for the dedication to their communities and the state in October. Read more on page 10
In Wyoming, more than 66,000 family caregivers help
their loved ones live at home- as opposed to living in costly long-term care facilities, which are often paid for by the State of Wyoming through Medicaid.
The unpaid assistance these individuals provide includes help with activities like bathing, dressing, feeding, medication management, wound care, transportation, and much more.
Caregivers often provide all this care with little or no support or training. In Wyoming, family caregivers provide unpaid care valued at about $680 million annually.
Considering family caregivers are often on call 24/7 while holding down full time jobs, what would you do to help them continue to safely care for their loved ones at home?
Caregivers have a big job but we can help with some basic support—and commonsense solutions—to make their big responsibilities a little bit easier.
That’s why AARP urges Wyoming lawmakers to enact the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable
(CARE) Act and help family caregivers as their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home.
The CARE Act recognizes the critical role family caregivers play
in keeping their loved ones out of costly institutions. The Act features three important provisions:
1. The name of the family caregiver is recorded when a loved one is admitted into a hospital.
2. The family caregiver is notified if the
loved one is to be discharged to another facility or back home.
3. The facility must provide an explanation and instructions of the medical tasks – such as medication management, injections, wound care, and transfers – that the family caregiver will need to perform at home.
Nationally, most care recipients (69%) did not have a home visit by a health care professional after discharge from the hospital.
Almost half (46%) of family
caregivers perform medical or nursing tasks for their loved ones with multiple chronic physical and cognitive conditions.
Three out of four (78%) who provide these medical or nursing tasks manage medications, including administering intravenous fluids and injections.
And as I have already mentioned, most family caregivers report that they received little or no training to perform these tasks.
The CARE Act is a practical and common sense approach that provides caregivers with more tools so they can do the job they need to do at home.
The Act will not cost the State of Wyoming
anything. In fact, it will likely help reduce hospital readmissions in the Medicaid program and will have minimal fiscal impact on Wyoming’s hospitals.
Please tell your state legislators about the Care Act and urge them to support it in the upcoming 2016 Wyoming Budget Session.
Copyright 2015:Please contact AARP Wyoming for permission to reproduce content contained herein.Volume 3: Issue 2 Editor: Tim Lockwood
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Tim summeRs
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AARP will focus on caregiving in 2016
Contact your Legislator
Do you want your voice to be heard on important legislation. Then contact your legislators.
Call the legislative hotline at 1-866-996-8683 or visit the Wyoming Legislative Service Office webste at legisweb.state.wy.us and click on the link in the left menu labeled “Legislator Information.”
Or for more information on how to get involved, click on the “General Information” on the left menu and follow the links under the “How to Particpate” heading.
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Turning 65? Taking the leap into the Medicare Sea? Here’s what you need to do to enter that water safely.
Depending on your situation, you will need to enroll in Medicare Part A (in patient coverage) and maybe Part
B (physicians, labs, supplies, etc.).
If you are already drawing your Social Security (SS) retirement benefit, watch your mailbox a few months before your birthday. Your card will arrive automatically. Do NOT throw anything from the Social Security Administration away without checking the contents first.
You will additionally need a Part D (prescription) plan if you do sign onto the Part B, and you will want a supplemental plan (aka Medigap) to cover your co-pays and deductibles. The ideal time to purchase a Medigap policy is during the 6-month period that starts the month you’re 65 and you’re enrolled in Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance).
During this Medigap open enrollment period, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, even if you have health problems. After this enrollment period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy and, if you are able to buy one, it may cost more.
Medicare Parts A and B are called original Medicare. You may instead choose to join a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan. According to the Medicare and You book, Wyoming has one plan in 7 counties and two plans in Uinta County.
More information on MA plans can be found at 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) or WSHIIP at 1-800-856-4398.
If you are low income, you may be able to apply for extra help for your prescriptions and/or a Medicare Savings Plan. You can do all of the above with SS or the Wyoming State Health Insurance Program (WSHIIP).
They will walk you through the process and your choices.
Once you have Part A, B, D and a supplement, or a MA plan, you are ready to jump in and swim. Oh . . . wait.
Threats lurk in these waters. There are sharks of all shapes and colors, and some are very devious!
To protect yourself, you’ll need to be geared up before you dive gracefully into that warm blue water of Medicare. Here’s what you need to do to lessen the danger:
• Keep your Medicare card at home unless you are going to see a provider. If you are unable to remember your number in an emergency, there are ways for hospital staff to find it. Your Medicare number is your (or a spouse’s) SS number. It is IDENTIFYING information. PROTECT it.
• Sign up for a “My Medicare” account at MyMedicare.gov You will be able to view your Medicare summary notices in a few days vs. a few months. You will know what was billed by your doctor., how much was approved, how much was paid, and what you and/or your supplemental plan is responsible for.
• Find out how to decipher the information on your Medicare summary notices. You will receive one in the mail every quarter if you visited a provider who billed Medicare. When you get it or read it online, check your name, address, and your Medicare number for accuracy.
Look to see what services were provided on what date. Was Medicare billed for duplicate appointments? If Medicare was charged for an MRI while you were
vacationing in Florida, ask yourself if that really happened. If not, there’s a problem.
• Use a Personal Healthcare Journal, available from the Wyoming Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), to record your medical appointments and then compare your MSN, insurance statements, and medical bills to your journal.
If you would like more information about how to prevent, detect, and report potential Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse, or about volunteering to help your peers protect themselves, please call the Wyoming Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-800-856-4398.
If it’s time to jump in with both feet and become a Medicare beneficiary,
you may contact the Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program (WSHIIP) at 1-800-856-4398.
You can reach Social Security at a local office, through their toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, or online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov
Now go ahead, get your suit on, your gear ready, and dive on in. You’re ready and the water is fine.
Sandy Goodman is the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program Manager with Wyoming Senior
spends an average of seven hours a day in front of a screen – that includes television, video games,
computers, or the ubiquitous smartphone.
That statistic, says Walt Gasson, is alarming.
“I don’t think that’s how human beings become well-adjusted, functional people,” says the Trout Unlimited director of endorsed businesses, who has also worked as the executive director of the Wyoming Wildlife Foundation and as an administrator at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
He says he’s given a lot of thought to the amount of time – or lack of time – kids spend outside. “That study says kids spend an average of seven minutes of unstructured, outdoor play. That’s not enough.”
But Gasson says there’s more to raising the next generation than just plunking them down in front of a television screen, or even booting them outside for physical play. He is a firm believer in sharing new experiences with his children and grandchildren, no matter if they’re still in their single digits or well into their fourth decades.
“My family has three traditions that are really cool,” he says. They’re annual events that not only educate the kids, but also are among the most enjoyable activities the more senior members of the family do each year.
“The first is Camp Wapiti,” he says. Grandma and Grandpa Gasson take the kids camping, where everyone has the chance to shoot at targets, go fishing, take hikes, and generally enjoy what nature has to offer. “Our children have evolved into teachers, and they transfer those skills to their own kids and nieces and nephews at Camp Wapiti. They teach them
how to identify edible plants, knife safety, you name it.”
Gasson says the kids learn a lot, as you’d expect, but even the adults learn from the experience. First and foremost, they learn more about their own children – what excites them, what makes them think, and what they’re passionate
about.Camp Wapiti is the Gasson
family tradition that lays the groundwork for the other two traditions – it’s Gasson’s version of boot camp for skills his children and grandchildren will carry with them the rest of their lives.
“The second big event is
Antelopealooza,” Gasson says. “Everybody goes. This year we had nine (antelope licenses), and the youngest hunter was 13 years old; the oldest was 62.”
Gasson says the participants – young or old – learn to stalk, make a good, clean shot, and why that’s important. They also learn about the sagebrush steppe ecosystem and how all the plants and animals that inhabit it are intertwined; and that if one piece of that puzzle disappears, it affects all the other members of the ecosystem.
“So, what’s the outcome of all of this?” Gasson says. “What’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?” He says the kids don’t simply learn how to cook dinner over a campfire, find their way using a map and compass, or shoot an antelope. That, he explains, is just the means to a more beneficial end.
After spending all this time with their family, outdoors, where they are far removed from those computer and television screens,
“We see in these young people a number of traits that are very important,” Gasson says. “The first of these is self-confidence. You can plunk them down anywhere, and if they have their backpacks, they’ll be fine. They could survive on their own, if they had to.”
He also says outings like the ones his family embarks on allow the participants to develop a trait that can’t be taught – one that has to come from within.
“They have ‘try,’ “ he says. Variously called “grit,” “determination,” or “stick-to-it-iveness,” Gasson says it can be innate, but it can’t be developed
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For the love of the outdoors
-By Ty sTockTon
guesT columnisT
photo by istockphoto.com/artisticcaptures
without some hard work.He explains that when one
of his grandsons was nine years old, the boy went fishing with his uncle and his great-uncle. They were exploring an area they’d never been to before, deep in the backcountry, where the creeks and streams only appear as thin, blue lines on the topographic maps. Avid trout anglers call this quest for huge fish inhabiting tiny waterways “blue-lining.”
“My grandson and his uncles were on a blue-lining trip,” Gasson says. “They ended up getting off the trail, as you do when you’re blue-lining, and they got turned around and mixed up. They were lost. They dragged into camp about midnight, and they were fine, but they looked like death warmed over. The little guy had dark circles under his eyes, and they all looked like they’d been through heck.”
Gasson says the wanderers gathered around the table to look over the map and retrace their steps, and they realized they’d walked at least 17 miles.
“My grandson was only nine,” he repeats, “and I looked at him and said, ‘That’s a heck of a long way for a youngster to walk.’ He looked right back at me and said, ‘That’s just how we do things in our family, Grandpa.’ “
In addition to these traits, Gasson says getting out in nature with the younger generation instills a unifying narrative for the whole
family.“It gives us all a common
theme,” he says. “We can all say, ‘I can do hard things; I have self-
confidence; I know where my food comes from; and I have a respect for life – all life.’ “
That unifying narrative idea occurred to Gasson a few years ago when he and one of his grandsons were hunting elk. They had killed one late in the day, as the sun was going down, and they knew they needed to get
it field dressed and packed out before night fell in earnest. Gasson dressed the animal out as quickly as he could, loaded the meat in their backpacks, and started to
head back to camp.“My grandson said, ‘Grandpa,
we forgot something.’ It was getting darker, and I was in a hurry to get out of there, so I was at a loss. He said, ‘We forgot to give thanks, Grandpa.’ It took a 12-year-old to remind this 60-year-old to stop long enough to give thanks to God.”
And that’s the moment when Gasson knew that all these opportunities to get together as a family, explore the natural world, and have fun mean more to the kids than just a way to pass the time. The adults know there’s a deeper meaning to the trips, but until that moment, Gasson wasn’t sure if the kids grasped it, too.
Now he knows, and nothing will keep him from taking the kids to the woods again next year.
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Ty sTockTon
guesT columnisT & ouTDooR enThusiasT
How much do you need to live comfortably through your retirement? It’s a complex question. Thankfully, AARP can help you get the answers you need with its retirement calculator. And because it’s from AARP, it’s advice you can trust.
Visit aarp.org/moneyblooms to get started. Tell your friends and family about the AARP retirement calculator.
Start by using the AARP retirement calculator today.
Plant a sound financial future.Plant a sound financial future.
Every day we hear from family caregivers like
Marcus, Tish and Iris about the challenges they face helping their older loved ones remain at home
— where they want to be.
Marcus: “Having a full-time job and coping with Mom’s illness has got to be one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever had to do. She is my light and my darkness all at the same time.”
Tish: “I hope we have my mom for many more years, but having instruction from qualified medical professionals is what I really need. I am willing to learn if the system is willing to teach me.”
Iris: “One day my mom became ill and my life changed in a moment. I knew I could not leave her alone.”
Having helped my own mom and pop for 15 years, I understand first-hand the challenges — and rewards — this experience brings. Bottom line: While they wouldn’t have it any other way, family caregivers need support and recognition.
Marcus, Tish and Iris are just three of about 40 million Americans caring for an older parent or loved one, helping them to live independently in their own homes. These family caregivers have a huge responsibility, but we can help with some basic
support — and commonsense solutions — to make their big responsibilities a little bit easier. From laws that make sure family caregivers have the instruction and information they need when their loved ones leave the hospital, to programs that help them take a hard earned break, AARP has been fighting across the states because supporting family caregivers is a top priority for all of us.
So far in 2015, 28 states have taken action to help family caregivers and the loved ones they care for. Here are some of the ways how:
The CARE Act: The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE)
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Supporting Americas 40 million Caregivers
-By elaine Ryan
aaRP Vice PResiDenT
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Act supports family caregivers when their loved ones go into the hospital and as they transition home.
Financial Caregiving: Bills to help family caregivers navigate financial challenges.
The Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protect Proceedings Jurisdiction Act ensures adult guardianship laws are consistent and honored from state to state.
The Uniform Power of Attorney Act ensures power of attorney laws are consistent and honored from state to state.
A modest caregiver tax credit gives family caregivers relief when using their own money to care for a loved one.
Home- and Community-Based Care: Significantly increasing — or protecting against significant decreases in — the number of older adults who have access to state-funded services at home, like home care and adult day care.
Nurse Scope & Delegation: Bills to cut through the red tape and allow nurses to have the full authority to heal.
Increased scope of practice allows advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to serve as the primary or acute
care provider of record.Nurse delegation allows
nurses to delegate and transfer authority to trained home care professionals in regular direct contact with patients.
Registry of Home Care Workers: Bills and regulations to allow family caregivers access to private-pay workers who can help provide care in the home.
Respite Care: Significantly increasing services that allow family caregivers to take a hard earned break.
Workplace Flexibility: Various bills to help working caregivers balance responsibilities at home
and work. Flexibility may come through state improvements to the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or through employers’ paid and/or unpaid leave policies.
Where does your state stand?
Elaine Ryan is the vice president of state advocacy and strategy integration (SASI) for AARP. She leads a team of dedicated legislative staff members who work with AARP state offices to advance advocacy with governors and state legislators, helping people 50-plus attain and maintain their health and financial security. Follow Elaine on Twitter: @RoamTheDomes
AgrAbility keeps farmers and ranchers hard at work
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“I grew up on a farm and spent a major part of my life farm-
ing,” says Rick Geringer of Wyoming Independent Living. “It gets in your blood, and that’s what you want to do.” If a person has an accident or an ailment that makes it difficult for
them to con-tinue farming or ranching,
he says, “they don’t want to be re-trained to go sit behind a desk. They want to stay on the farm or ranch. They’re a determined bunch.”
But thanks to Geringer and Wyo-ming Independent Living, there’s not much that will keep one of those determined individuals out of the fields.
Through Wyoming Independent Living, Geringer helps people of all walks of life continue to do the things they enjoy doing – whether that’s climbing up in a tractor to plow a field or getting up and down the stairs in the home they’ve lived in for decades. Geringer doesn’t just help those in the agriculture industry – his organization helps anyone overcome the physical ob-stacles that would otherwise keep them from doing what they like to do.
But no matter if Geringer is visiting a person’s home in town to determine whether they just need grab bars or more extensive assis-tive devices, or if he’s traveling to a spread 40 miles from the nearest town to help a rancher figure out how to gather his cattle from 10,000 acres, it all starts with Wyoming Independent Living.
Geringer says there used to be an agriculture-specific program in Wyoming to help farmers and ranchers overcome disabilities, but his organization now handles those calls. The Wyoming AgrAbil-
ity Program is still a resource, but Wyoming Independent Living now handles the calls on the eastern side of the state.
But Geringer reiterates that farmers and ranchers are very self-sufficient. Because of this, he says, they’re often reluctant to ask for help. They tend to be quite resourceful, too, and he says they often find ways to help themselves on their own.
Some of the inventions those in the ag industry have developed for themselves now help others with similar challenges, Geringer says, as he demonstrates a hitch that mounts on the back of a tractor that helps a person hook up to an implement without having to get off the tractor. The V-shaped wings to either side of the hitch also help guide the implement’s connector to the hitch, even if the tractor isn’t
lined up perfectly.He also shows off a gate post
with a hand crank attached to it, with a wire loop trailing out from the arbor of the crank.
“Sometimes gates can be pretty hard to open and close,” he says. “This makes it a lot easier to do, es-pecially if a person has arthritis or trouble pulling that gate closed.”
The wire loop can easily be placed over the gate’s post, and the crank can be used to pull the gate tight.
“That way, the livestock can’t squeeze out through a gap you might have if you can’t get the gate closed tight,” he says.”
The solutions can be as simple as that tractor hitch or gate latch, or they might be much more involved. Geringer explains a hydraulic lift mounted on a flatbed pickup with a remote control that can get a per-
-By Ty sTockTon
guesT WRiTeR
Geringer shows how a modified tractor hitch that helps guide the tongue of an implement into a channel, where the locking pin drops automatically, so the trac-tor operator doesn’t have to get in and out of the tractor several times to hook up to an implement. Photo by Ty Stockton
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son from the cab of the truck up to the cab of a tall tractor, without having to climb any steps. A device like this can be used to help the operator do mechanical work on the tractor, too, or it can be used for other tasks, like painting the house or trimming a tree.
“Sometimes a person just needs a lift mounted on the tractor to get in and out of it,” he says, “but that’s a device that’s specific to one task. A lift like the one on the flatbed is more flexible, but it’s more expen-sive, too.”
Geringer sees a similar range of solutions for people living or work-ing in town, too. His job is to assess the needs of the people facing a challenge and find solutions that fit with their budgets.
When Wyoming Independent Living gets a call from a person facing a challenge or a referral from someone who knows a person with a disability, Geringer schedules a personal visit. During those in-home assessments, he first deter-mines the barriers keeping a person from doing the things they need to do. He then figures out what aids are available to help with those dai-ly tasks. It might be ramps to get up stairs, grab bars to make it possible for a person to transfer themselves from a wheelchair into a bathtub, or just about anything else.
And those assessments extend to the farm or ranch, too. When Geringer goes on an AgrAbility call, though, his efforts are usually fo-cused on the agricultural operation outside, rather than in the home.
When a solution is more expen-sive than a person can afford on their own, he researches funding options.
“Wyoming has a loan program called WYTAP that’s available to people with disabilities who need assistive devices,” he says. “It’s for
up to $25,000 at low interest rates.”Wyoming Independent Living
has minimal funds for those aids, Geringer says. The organization can provide grab bars and ramps, as well as some other small de-vices, but bigger or more specific solutions often require Geringer to search for other funding sources.
“Over the years, I’ve come across different sources that might be intended for specific purposes,” Geringer says. “For instance, there’s the Travis Roy Program, which pro-vides funding for assistive devices for people who have had spinal injuries.”
Geringer has a list of similar grant programs, and he says he’s constantly adding to it. “There are a lot of private sources of funding out
there,” he says. “The trick is to find them when you have a person who meets the specific requirements.”
And the other trick is getting the word out to the people who need his and Wyoming Independent Liv-ing’s help, but are reluctant to ask for it. If you or someone you know could benefit from the in-home modifications Wyoming Indepen-dent Living provide, or the agricul-ture-specific aids Wyoming AgrA-bility can find, contact Geringer at [email protected] or 877-208-4897.
For more information about the Wyoming AgrAbility Program, visit the University of Wyoming Exten-sion Service’s website at www.uwyo.edu/agrability or call the AgrAbility Program at 866-395-4986.
DRIVEN BY HELPING OTHERS
When you become an AARP Driver Safety volunteer, you help make our roads safer. The AARP Driver Safety course teaches safe driving strategies so drivers can maintain their confidence behind the wheel and their independence on today’s roads. We’ll provide all the training you need to succeed. Volunteer today and help make a di�erence in your community.
Sign up at www.aarp.org/dsvolunteer
Wyoming is fortunate to have the type of culture and
communities where helping others and supporting your neighbor is second nature.
Each year, we take the opportunity to celebrate some of our greatest volunteers, and people we get to work with.
Following is the eight Community Service Awards beside the Andrus Award that we handed out at our annual volunteer appreciation banquet in Cheyenne this October.
Eddie Wadda Community Service AwardLindi Kirkbride - Cheyenne
Lindi Kirkbride has supported her community through a multitude of activities.
She serves on the Laramie County Conservation District, helps plan the annual
Laramie County Bee College, works with individuals as a master gardener, advocates at the Wyoming Legislature for consumer and agricultural issues and was instrumental in starting the Cheyenne VA Garden through AARP Wyoming.
Jackie Martin - CodyWithin 3 months of retiring and
moving to Cody, Jackie and husband Steve were elected as State Directors of Wyoming Good Sam, a North American Camping Club, and served in that position for the next 4 years. It was during that time that she became involved with
AARP and has since gone on to be a community contact volunteer, a Driver Safety Instructor and eventually, a member of the AARP Wyoming Executive Council. She will be assuming the duties of state program manager for the Wyoming Safe Driver Program this fall.
Community PartnersCarmen Rideout & Stella Montano - Sheridan
Carmen Rideout, Sheridan Senior Center Executive Director, and Stella Montano, Sheridan Senior Center Family Caregiver Director, have been instrumental in helping AARP to further efforts to support caregivers and their rights in Wyoming.
They have advocated for caregivers, helped plan caregiving
education events and served as experts, speakers and leaders as the state works to build a stronger foundation of support for caregivers and their families
Jan Cartwright - CheyenneJan Cartwright just likes to help
people. Her work with AARP to support Medicaid Expansion and staffing community health centers are just a couple of the reasons she is such a valuable community partner.
She is a resource and supporter for those in need through her work as Executive Director of the
Wyoming Primary Care Association.
AdvocacyDr. Eric Wedell- Cheyenne
A somewhat recent addition to the AARP Wyoming Government Relations Team, Dr. Eric Weddell has been essential to the success of a number of important pieces of legislation.
His work and knowledge have helped in critical passage of measures such as the new POLST Act, respite rules, and health licensing discussions. He continues to advocate for Medicaid Expansion as a valuable member of the AARP team.
Retired EducatorWalt Wragge - Sheridan
Walt Wragge didn’t just work as a teacher, but lived his life in education and music.
After retiring as a teacher and administrator, he went on to support other administrators by leading the Wyoming Association of Elementary and Middle School Principles. In his “spare” time he also served as a trustee for the Northern Wyoming Community College District and proudly represented Wyoming when asked to serve at the national level for Association of Community College Trustees.
He continues to educate and share the love of knowledge through music as a member of the Sheridan Community Choir and Band.
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AARP recognizes dedicated volunteers for service
AARP Foundation Tax-AideDave McClintock – Sheridan
David McClintock has worked with Tax Aide for 10 years with 6 years as the State Coordinator.
With support from the Tax Aide volunteers, they have 16 sites throughout the
state. He and the other volunteers help low to moderate income adults and families.
David retired from Cheyenne Light, Fuel, and Power as the utility manager for 25 years.
David likes the outdoors, genealogy research, and tax-aide that keeps him busy year around.
Chapter LeaderBud Hinterlighter – Torrington
Having retired from the Western Electric Company in 1995 with 26 years of service, Bud Hinterlighter and his wife moved to Torrington to retire.
It was then that he became involved with the local AARP
chapter. He served as the president of the chapter from 2008 to 2014. And, while part of the chapter, helped to complete a number of community projects including supporting the local childrens “backpack” program, starting a community garden for the Community Hospital Care Link and applying address numbers to needy homes.
Driver SafetyGeorge Parker - Laramie
George Parker has been a driver safety instructor for 15 years with 6 years as District Coordinator.
As District Coordinator, George helps train and support volunteer instructors in his district. He enjoys teaching the class because it’s a good
volunteer service to people. George has a positive outlook on
life and demonstrates that with his instructors and with individuals who attend the classes.
Lifetime AchievementLes Engelter – Sheridan
Les Engelter is a longtime volunteer of Wyoming AARP. He has served in the capacity of training specialist for the state, six years as state president, and another six years as a member of the AARP executive council.
Most memorable of volunteering experiences for Les has centered on the passage of the Affordable Care Act which included the many
presentations he delivered around Wyoming.
Les chairs the Greenhouse For Living nursing facility in Sheridan.
He also chairs the Northern
Wyoming Mental Health Center Board, serves on the Sheridan County Tripartite Board and he volunteers for the First Christian Church Thrift Store. Les was presented with the AARP Andrus Award in 2010.
Veterans and survivors who are eligible for a VA pension and require the aid and attendance of another person, or are housebound, may be eligible for additional monetary payment.
These benefits are paid in addition to monthly pension, and they are not paid without eligibility to Pension.
To receive the benefit, Veterans and their spouses need to meet certain conditions such as requiring the aid of another person for daily activities, being bedridden, in a nursing home or confined to your premises because of a permanent disability.
Any application for benefits will require copies of any evidence such as a a report from an attending physician validating the need for Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
To learn more about the benefit and how to apply, either visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/ or contact the VA Regional Office in either Sheridan or Cheyenne.
Veterans could be elegible forin-home servicesEvery
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