LAKEPORT >> Recognizing the importance of providing support to Lake County’s senior population, Hospice Services of Lake County is joining senior centers and other entities in sponsoring the first Lake County Senior Summit, scheduled for April 1.
A free event for individuals age 60 and older, the summit will take place at Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino, 1545 Highway 20, Nice. The 9 a.m.-5 p.m. event will feature training workshops, motivational speakers, information booths, lunch, awards and raffle prizes.
Individuals interested in attending are urged to pre-register online at www.lcseniors.net or to call (707) 998-1302. Non-seniors may attend for a $5 fee, payable at the door. Free transportation is available to seniors attending the summit. Call for transportation information.
“Hospice Services of Lake County is proud to be a part of this meaningful first summit focusing on seniors,” said Chief Executive Officer Corrigan Gommenginger, CHA. “We support and recognize the significance of the County’s various entities collaborating to address the needs of this important segment of our population.”
Credited with the inspiration for the summit, County District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele called the event the first “Lake County conference to reaffirm the traditional cultural value of respect for our elder population, to discover what they need and to honor their contributions.”
Summit topics are designed to be of interest and relevance to senior citizens, board members and prospective board members, in-home service providers, and others interested in improving the lives of Lake County’s older residents.
Keynote speaker Prescott Cole, an attorney with California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, plans to give an overview of Medi-Cal for nursing homes, long-term care insurance and private pay requirements as well as “give some insights into various scams against seniors such as the trust mill seminar, unsuitable annuities, Veteran Aid and Attendance Benefits and other egregious practices in the long-term care estate planning industry.”
Cole, who was instrumental in legislation known as the Senior Fraud Prevention Act of 2000, large numbers of seniors are falling victim to “unscrupulous ‘planners’ who take advantage of the seniors’ confusion about how long-term care is financed.”
Another session during the summit will focus on the roles of governing boards for organizations that serve seniors. Sue Haun, MA, the founder of Strategies By Design and a processional trainer and facilitator, will speak on the subject.
“Boards are critical to the success of organizations, and those that serve seniors in Lake County provide vital services in the community,” said Haun. “In order to be at their effective best, board members must understand their roles and responsibilities, how to deal with conflict of interest, and how to get more done in less time. In this training, participants will learn the ‘job’ of the nonprofit board member that honors your mission, engages your board, and makes meetings more fun.”
Additional sponsors for the summit include Lake County’s senior centers, Calpine at The Geysers, the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, Lake Transit Authority and the Lucerne Community Clinic.
Robinson Rancheria is pleased to be hosting the event, according to Tribal Chair E.J. Crandell. “Robinson Rancheria supports the conference-style gathering of elders that engages the wisdom and experience of the past seven generations to forge future solutions for our changing population,” said Crandell.
For more information about Hospice Services of Lake County, call (707) 263-6222. Visit the organization’s website at www.lakecountyhospice.org.
