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‘It’s going to be OK’: Family caregivers offer advice to their past selves and future caregivers

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Originally published by The 19th We’re telling the untold stories of women, women of color, and LGBTQ+ people. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. At some point, caregiving will touch most Americans’ lives. According to a 2020 report from AARP, about 1 in 5 Americans provide care for aging or disabled family members. The majority of family caregivers are women.  Yet American infrastructure is ill-equipped to serve the needs of both caregivers and people who need care. A 2022 survey from Cleveland Clinic and Parade found that 1 in 3 family caregivers reported experiencing some form of depression or anxiety. Medicare, which insures the majority of older adults in the United States, does not cover assistance for long-term care needs like help preparing meals or bathing.  In honor of National Caregivers Day, The 19th spoke with four family caregivers about what they wish they had known before they became caregivers. They also offered advice for people at the beginning of their own caregiving journeys.  First celebrated in 2016 to honor America’s professional and family caregivers, National Caregivers Day falls on the third Friday in February. Here’s what four family caregivers had to say about anticipating grief, finding healthcare providers you trust, and building community to combat loneliness. ‘Know that it will hurt.’ Jacquelyn Revere, 36, lives in Inglewood, California. She spent six years caring for her mother and grandmother, both of whom had dementia.  Revere runs Mom of My Mom, a popular TikTok account about caregiving. She originally started the account to document the ups and downs of her caregiving journey.  “It was just my mom and I making fun videos. As her care increased over time, it became me sharing how I care for her and the unexpected problems that ended up coming,” said Revere, whose mother died last year. “And now it’s me sharing how I’m living and moving forward, hoping the information that helps me will help other people going through the same.” Videos about dementia and caregiving have become increasingly popular on TikTok as a younger generation of people has become caregivers for their aging parents. Videos using the “dementia” hashtag have over 5.5 billion views on the platform. Mom of My Mom has over 672,000 followers.  “There are so many resources now that were not there when I started [caring for my mother and grandmother]. There were not people on social media sharing. I wasn’t able to see someone doing what I had been doing,” Revere said. “There were things about the care field that I did not know that would have helped me if I had known. How to talk to doctors, how to talk to family, how to take time for yourself.” When asked what advice she would give her past self, Revere said to “know that it will hurt.”  “Learning the ins and outs of how relationships change when you begin caring for someone can help you understand why there are feelings of loss. Anticipatory grief will come, but knowing why it’s there will help you make use of it, to tighten the bond with the person you’re caring for.”  Still, Revere was careful to stress that it isn’t always painful.  “There isn’t a way to stop the emotional roller coaster that comes with care. But you also don’t have to ruminate on it. I think so much of my sorrow came from me spiraling in my own head. Making sure I stayed present was really important. Luckily, caring for someone with dementia sort of forces you to stay in the present moment,” Revere said. For others beginning their own caregiving journeys, Revere recommends that people take time for themselves. She took nighttime writing courses to continue developing her skills. “Maintaining something you did prior to becoming a caregiver is important to maintaining your sense of self,” she said. “Know that the guilt you feel when you leave your loved one will be there. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take time for yourself.” ‘Find someone who cares about your parents and who cares about you.’ Harold Abrams, 60, lives in New York City. He was a caregiver to both of his parents, along with his sister and his boyfriend. His father died in 2012, and his mother died in 2016.  “Their mental capacity was always in check, but physically, that was where a lot of the challenges were. My mother had leukemia; she had back problems, knee problems, and arthritis. She suffered a lot of pain. My father started to get seizures. As he got older, they got increasingly worse,” Abrams said.   He highlighted some of the specific struggles he faced as a Black, queer caregiver.  “My mother suffered tremendous pain. Any doctor could read an X-ray of her back and see she had this terrible kind of bone on bone, just really horrible alignment. As a result, she was on very intense pain medication. And we found ourselves in situations where some medical professionals questioned if she really needed the pain medication. I think we got extra questions. I don’t know if all patients would have been asked what we were asked. We had to give a little extra proof,” he said.  For newer family caregivers, Abrams stressed the importance of finding healthcare providers that fit you and your family’s needs. “As hard as it may be, you’ve got to find a provider that you feel comfortable with and who respects you. That’s not easy for everyone to do. It wasn’t easy for us. But it’s really important that you’re able to be your full, authentic self with these providers,” he said.  Abrams also stressed the importance of ensuring that paid caregivers respect the people they’re caring for.  “You need to find someone who cares about your parents and who cares about you. It took us a while to get our sea legs and find someone who was sensitive to my parents’ needs as older Black adults. When I was there, providers would treat me a certain kind of way. They would treat my sister a certain kind of way. When my boyfriend was there, they would treat him a certain way. We assessed all of that,” Abrams said.  ‘You have to take care of yourself.’ Rochelle Long, 66, cares for her mother, who is in her 80s and has Alzheimer’s disease. She’s been caregiving for over a decade from her home in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Long’s mother was one of five siblings, and four out of the five developed the condition. Long cared for one of her aunts as well.  “My mother has outlived them all,” Long said.  Long wishes she had known how physically demanding caregiving is.  “You have to take care of yourself. I wish somebody had stressed that. Because as my mother has declined, I’ve aged. The job is getting tough from a physical standpoint. … It’s physically taxing. I’m aging, and I have as many ailments as she does,” Long said.  She also wishes she had known about the impact music can have on improving quality of life. “I put on music every morning. Before I wake her up, she hears that music. She wakes up very pleasant. I wish I had known that years ago,” Long said.  Flexibility is also important. Long wishes she had known when to push or not push early on.  “If it’s not going to hurt anything, if she wants to eat three apples, let her eat three apples. If she wants to sleep in the recliner, put the legs up. Pick your battles,” she said.  Long said that caregiving isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK. She has four siblings, but her mother lives with her, because caregiving is one of her skills. “There’s no shame. It’s better to let somebody else do it if caregiving isn’t one of your gifts or skills,” Long said. “I’ve seen people who are caregivers but they’re really angry. They’re angry at themselves and they’re angry at [the family member with dementia]. [The person with dementia] can’t help what’s happening to them.”  ‘It’s going to be OK.’ Malia Fredrick, 31, currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her father was in the military, and her family moved frequently growing up. She is the youngest of three siblings. Her mother had sickle cell anemia and was frequently in and out of the hospital.  When Fredrick was a freshman in high school, her mother had a stroke.  “Our lives changed overnight. She was in a coma for a month. We were at the point where there were some hard conversations. Doctors were basically saying to my dad that there was nothing more that they could do for her,” Fredrick said.  Fredrick’s mother survived, but their lives were irrevocably changed. She had short-term memory loss and wasn’t always aware of danger. She required round-the-clock care. Frederick, whose siblings had already left the house, quickly took on the role as caregiver. “My responsibilities changed overnight. [Before the stroke], my mom was primarily a homemaker and basically the CEO of the household. I had to learn how to do laundry and figure out certain things that my dad couldn’t teach me,” she said.  Her relationship with her father, Colonel George Fredrick, also changed.  “We’ve always been very close. Our relationship deepened. But I wasn’t daddy’s little girl anymore. I almost became a sort of co-parent with him,” she said.  Fredrick’s mother passed away in 2018. Fredrick and her father have become advocates for family caregiving through the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. George Fredrick is a member of the board, and Malia Fredrick is an advocate for a new initiative called the 4Kinds Network, which aims to connect family caregivers to each other and provide peer-to-peer support.  The network is named after a quote from former First Lady Rosalynn Carter: “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” “Caregiving can feel really lonely or isolating like people don’t understand. Having a network of people to share your story with has been tremendous for all of us,” Fredrick said.  Since Fredrick was so young when she became a caregiver, it’s hard to say what she might have done differently to prepare. But she is proud of who she has become through the experience.  “This story shouldn’t be all somber and sad. My mom was loved and well taken care of. I was able to accomplish a lot. It made me grow up really fast. But also, I have a lot of clarity about who I am as a person, about what I want out of life,” Fredrick said.  What would Fredrick tell her past self, given the chance?  “Malia, you’re doing a great job. I know you don’t know everything, but you’re going to learn, and it’s going to be OK. And get some therapy, girl!”

Railroad Display at Cross Keys Village Open To All

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Starting on November 26 and throughout the holidays, the Harmony Ridge Railroad Club at Cross Keys Village will be holding open houses. Villagers’ families are welcome, and so are all our neighbors and friends in the greater community. This will be the first occasion for children of all ages to enjoy the Railroad Club’s enhanced displays (wait until you see the new drive-in theater). The Train Room will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the following Saturdays and Sundays: November 26 & 27, December 3 & 4, 10 & 11, and 17 & 18 Also, open daily from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. from December 26 to December 30. Access to the Train Room is free and open to all. Please look for directional signs when you enter the Harmony Ridge Community Center, located at 620 Harmony Drive in New Oxford.

Scammers continue to cost local residents

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Last month a retired gentleman came into my computer repair shop in Gettysburg. It was apparent he was not what you would call “tech savvy.” He had recently dialed a phone number on pop-up screen on his computer that advertised for Bitcoin. He sat in the chair in front of my desk and told me his story. A scammer on the other end of a phone call had talked him into buying $16,000 in what he thought would be Cryptocurrency, but the money was actually being stolen from him. “I guess I will have to go get a job at Walmart to replace the $16,000,” he said. Unfortunately, Jim’s story is not at all unusual. Although most people we see here locally have not lost money, and those who did report losing “only” $500-$2000, many, many people have been scammed. In fact, my businesses sees about 10 customers every month with similar stories. They are all here in our shop because they need to pay us to have their computer cleaned of a virus. I am writing this to remind you that scammers are everywhere and that every one of us could be a victim. I am sure many are aware of the scams that are out there.  They can come in the form of a phone call (someone claiming to be from the Microsoft Corporation who asks if you computer is running slowly), by email (a message supposedly from a reputable company says they have renewed your magazine subscription and to call them), or on your computer itself (a pop-up asking you to call in for a great deal). Whether you are contacted via phone, email, or computer doesn’t really matter – if you allow any scammer access to your personal information you will likely end up with a costly trip to the local computer repair shop and possibly lose your money. There are three simple rules to prevent this from getting that far.  I call them red flags. First Red Flag Be suspicious of anyone, no matter who they claim to be, who reaches out to offer you help. As sad as it may sound, strangers are not likely to offer to help you. I know that some of us want to see only the good in people, and while that is an admirable trait, there is a truth to what PT Barnum said —  “there is a sucker born every minute”.  The unseen face on the other end of an unexpected phone call or email pretending to be IRS or Amazon employee may seem sincere in their desire to help you, but probably isn’t. If someone you don’t know offers to help you, hang up the phone immediately. Second Red Flag Never, never let anyone you do not know (and by know, I mean have met in person and have some level of trust in), remotely control your computer.  If you hear someone say “let me control your computer” or “can you go to this website for me” you are probably being scammed. If someone wants to control your computer, logoff your computer immediately. Third Red Flag If you made it this far you will likely have a trip to the computer repair shop in your immediate future, however you are not out any money yet, so all is not lost. This is the most important thing you can take away from this article. No one and I mean absolutely, positively no legitimate company now and forever will ever ask for or accept payment in the form of gift cards. If someone asks you for a gift card, hang up the phone immediately. Depending on the tenacity of the scammer they will likely contact you again. But do not engage with them. Eventually they will give up and move on. Now for the most important part. Do not be embarrassed that you “fell” for a scam. It can happen to the best of us. Talk about your experience to anyone who will listen; the more we talk about scamming the more light we shine on scammers. Talk about it to your family at holidays and picnics; talk about it to your friends, or even the cashier at the checkout lane.  If you’ve been scammed, talk about it. Some interesting scam stats: In the US, one in ten adults will fall victim to a scam or fraud every year. Around 50% of people contacted by a scammer engage with them. Of those approached by scammers on social media, 91% engaged, and 53% lost money. 58% of scammers are using old-fashioned techniques – Phone and postal scams are rife. Letters asking for money for services you haven’t received, and even letters claiming that you have won money and need to provide your bank details are common and often target the elderly above other demographics. Phishing attacks statistics show that 90% of data breaches are from phishing. – Online phishing involves sending emails pretending to be a reputable company or agency in order to try to obtain sensitive information like passwords and bank details. Charity scams statistics also show that phishers often pretend to be working for a charitable non-profit organization. Every month around 1.5 million new phishing sites are set up. – Authorities try to shut them down but it is a game of whack a mole. 83 Million Facebook accounts are fake. Older Americans lose an estimated $2.9 billion a year from scamming. More than 2.4 million Americans are targeted by people pretending to be from the IRS each year. American consumers reported losing more than $5.8 billion to fraud last year, up from $3.4 billion in 2020 (an increase of more than 70%), the Federal Trade Commission said. Jefferey Baum is owner of Total Tech Solutions in Gettysburg.

Paula D. Olinger, longtime community contributor, has died

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Dr. Paula Olinger, 75, of Gettysburg, Pa died in her home on Saturday, September 17th, 2022. She passed away from complications of dementia. Dr. Olinger taught Spanish at Gettysburg College and retired in May of 2018 after almost 40 years of teaching. Dr. Olinger received her Ph.D. from Brandeis University in 1981. She published, Images of Transformation in Traditional Hispanic Poetry, in 1985. She traveled, and had a lifelong desire to learn and experience different cultures and was an advocate for all. She was fascinated by religion and had been Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, and most recently Buddhist. While teaching at the college, she had the idea to create The Center/El Centro, a community after school program in her family home. She created a wonderful atmosphere and environment for so many children and families in the community to come, learn, and grow together. Paula believed strongly in the value of service learning and collaborated with the Spanish Department to provide tutors for the children which immensely benefited both the children and college students. She fiercely believed in human rights. Although Paula did not like to take credit for all the wonderful things she did, the community recognized her contributions through many humanitarian awards and she was honored to have had the experiences she did with the community of Gettysburg. Dr. Olinger was preceded in death by her parents, George and Mae (Bream) Olinger. She had two children Axa Jones (BJ Jones) and Noah Rubira. She found great joy in her grandchildren Nathan and Jaden Jones. She had two brothers, Barton Olinger (Colleen), nephews Miles and Seth Olinger, all of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Stephen Olinger of Gettysburg and niece Sarah Hadoulis of Connecticut. Paula loved her family, animals, and nature. She enjoyed taking walks on the battlefield with her dogs and was incredibly interested in Gettysburg’s history and was involved with the Elsie Singmaster Society. As education was central to her life, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of a donation to the Gettysburg Area Dollars for Scholars program, PO Box 4339, Gettysburg, PA 17325 in memory of Paula Olinger. The family will hold a Celebration of Life for Paula in the future and details will be shared at that time. Online tributes and condolences can be made at monahanfuneralhome. This obituary was originally published here.

Obituary: Paula D. Olinger

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Dr. Paula Olinger, 75, of Gettysburg, Pa died in her home on Saturday, September 17th, 2022. She passed away from complications of dementia. Dr. Olinger taught Spanish at Gettysburg College and retired in May of 2018 after almost 40 years of teaching. Dr. Olinger received her Ph.D. from Brandeis University in 1981. She published, Images of Transformation in Traditional Hispanic Poetry, in 1985. She traveled, and had a lifelong desire to learn and experience different cultures and was an advocate for all. She was fascinated by religion and had been Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, and most recently Buddhist. While teaching at the college, she had the idea to create The Center/El Centro, a community after school program in her family home. She created a wonderful atmosphere and environment for so many children and families in the community to come, learn, and grow together. Paula believed strongly in the value of service learning and collaborated with the Spanish Department to provide tutors for the children which immensely benefited both the children and college students. She fiercely believed in human rights. Although Paula did not like to take credit for all the wonderful things she did, the community recognized her contributions through many humanitarian awards and she was honored to have had the experiences she did with the community of Gettysburg. Dr. Olinger was preceded in death by her parents, George and Mae (Bream) Olinger. She had two children Axa Jones (BJ Jones) and Noah Rubira. She found great joy in her grandchildren Nathan and Jaden Jones. She had two brothers, Barton Olinger (Colleen), nephews Miles and Seth Olinger, all of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Stephen Olinger of Gettysburg and niece Sarah Hadoulis of Connecticut. Paula loved her family, animals, and nature. She enjoyed taking walks on the battlefield with her dogs and was incredibly interested in Gettysburg’s history and was involved with the Elsie Singmaster Society. As education was central to her life, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of a donation to the Gettysburg Area Dollars for Scholars program, PO Box 4339, Gettysburg, PA 17325 in memory of Paula Olinger. The family will hold a Celebration of Life for Paula in the future and details will be shared at that time. Online tributes and condolences can be made at monahanfuneralhome.c This obituary was originally published here.

Pennsylvania Lottery celebrates 50 years of winning and giving to seniors

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By Linda Thompson, Adams County Office for Aging, Inc. Community Services Director If you watch the evening news on TV, you’re familiar with the ritual – the music swells, the ping-pong balls swirl inside their glass cases, and the jingle singers burst forth with “The Pennsylvania Lottery!” But did you know the lottery is turning 50 this year? Today marks the 50th anniversary of the sale of the very first PA Lottery ticket — which cost 50 cents. Established by law in 1971, the program has changed and grown, offering more than 35 different games during the past 50 years including Powerball, a multi-state jackpot game. The program also introduced us to Gus, the second most famous groundhog in PA. Regardless of your feelings about legalized gambling or Gus, the good news for Adams County seniors is that Pennsylvania remains the only state lottery that designates all proceeds for programs that benefit older residents. Since 1972, thanks to all who play, over $32.6 billion has been contributed to those programs. What does it all mean for seniors? The benefits to those 65 and over include property tax and rent rebates; free and reduced-fare transportation services; the prescription assistance programs called PACE and PACENET; care services; and local services provided by the 52 Area Agencies on Aging including the Adams County Office of Aging (ACOFA) For transportation through the rabbittransit shared ride program, it means the lottery pays 85 percent of the cost of any trip anywhere in the county for any person age 65 or older who is registered to ride. For certain “necessary trips” (medical appointment, pharmacy, grocery store, senior or adult day center, bank, laundromat, or human service agency) OCOFA pays the remaining 15 percent so there is no charge to the rider. For any other trip (out to lunch, shopping, visiting, movie theater, etc.) the rider pays the 15% fee. That’s a pretty great deal and rabbittransit does a terrific job of moving people around our county and neighboring counties. Under the PACE and PACENET programs it means the maximum co-payment for a prescription is $15. If you use an inhaler or eye drops, take Eliquis, Tresiba, or other expensive brand name medicines, you know what a help that is. At ACOFA it means a small but mighty staff of 13 full and 5 part time people are working each day, answering the phone, seeing people at the Gettysburg office, in the six senior centers and out at the homes of older adults receiving services. Anyone age 60+ can come in for general information and assistance, receive answers to Medicare questions, get help completing a Property Tax/Rent Rebate or PACE application, request an assessment for in-home services by a Care Manager, participate in a senior center or caregiver support group and many other services. For a complete list, please visit our website at www.acofa.org Some services are provided using a sliding fee scale and some have income eligibility requirements, but many are available just because a person is 65+ and thanks to the PA Lottery. ACOFA’s budget is a combination of federal, state and local funds. Much of that money comes to us designated for a particular program. Since not all services fall within the categories funded under the Lottery list, we are very grateful for the donations and grants we receive that allow us to provide additional services and support. We are especially grateful for the volunteers who assist with so many efforts that could never be covered by our small staff. So if you play, we thank you. If you play in the future, we also thank you. As our former director used to say – “even if you don’t win, we do!”

Local nonprofits look back on Covid and forward to 2022, while saying the present problem is labor shortages

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At the January meeting of @Home in Adams County, community leaders summarized their organization’s responses to Covid over the past two years. Meeting moderator and @Home coordinator Stacey Rice said the organization focuses on coordinating resources, advocating, and developing solutions for affordable living in Adams County. Adams County Community Foundation President and Executive Director Ralph Serpe introduced the meeting and said his organization had worked through the pandemic to help people in the county, including launching a Relief and Recovery fund through which they gave about $165,000 to 22 organizations “to keep them going during the first summer.” 193rd House District Representative Torren Ecker said revenues at the state level were “pretty strong,” but that a lot of money has come from federal stimulus money. Torren said there were “structural deficits” in place at the state level that could cause problems going forward. He said he expected the state legislature to be talking a lot about infrastructure soon. “We live in an awesome community,” he said. “I’m really proud to represent it.” “Covid has impacted everyone on this call,” said County Commissioner Randy Phiel. Phiel said it was a challenge coordinating the many county agencies, but that “we have prevailed, overcoming these many constant challenges.” Phiel said Covid had impacted the county in terms of recruitment, sustainability, and retention of staff members, particularly in the prison. “Covid has increased the cost of doing business,” he said. Phiel pointed out the successful partnership with Wellspan Health in turning the County Department of Emergency Services Center into a Covid testing and vaccination site, and said the county election office had been “operating on steroids,” with staffing and costs providing challenges. Phiel said the county had been involved in transparently distributing millions of dollars in Covid relief funds and that although the funds were welcomed their administration required significant work. He said the county had a 3-year fiscal plan in place that “puts us in a good position.” County Commissioner Marty Qually said the county is forming an official broadband task force. “Now everyone knows we are in a very underserved area for broadband,” he said, and that funds for improvements were becoming available. Michael Cogliano, President of Wellspan said across his system it was “nearly impossible to find a moment that has not been affected by the virus.” Cogliano said Adams, along with all other counties in the state, was still classified in the Covid “high spread” level by the CDC. Noting that Covid hospitalizations had peaked in early January, Cogliano said they were down by 30 percent over the past weeks. Cogliano said only 57.8 percent of county residents have received at least one vaccination dose and only 51 percent are fully vaccinated. He said masking, hand washing, and social distancing are still important. “Encouraging everyone to get the vaccine remains vitally important to stopping the surge of Covid 19,” he said. Rabbittransit Executive Director Richard Farr said ridership had now recovered to about 86 percent of pre-pandemic levels. He said some cuts in service had been made including limiting non-medical trips to better meet needs for medical transport, and that the 15N route to Harrisburg schedule had been cut in half due to staffing.  Farr said the organization was experiencing larger than normal turnover and had increased the starting rate for drivers to $15 per hour.  He said the organization was hiring and was expected to soon be at full staff for the first time in 3 years. Farr said rabbittransit was still offering free rides for vaccines and boosters and providing transportation for those who are affected with Covid. Destination Gettysburg President Karl Pietrzak said there had been a “big rebound” in tourism in the county in 2021 compared to 2020 and that it was now back to pre-Covid levels.  Pietrzak said staffing at Destination Gettysburg is now only about 50% of pre-Covid levels and encouraged people to support local businesses. Gettysburg Area School District (GASD) Superintendent Jason Perrin thanked local organizations for their help, saying “learning is difficult when other needs aren’t being met.”  He said most public schools in the county have remained in person this year, but that they are still seeing increases and decreases in cases. Perrin said GASD was offering enhanced and flexible remote learning options. “Covid exacerbates things we were already seeing, including staffing and mental health issues. Mental health will be a big piece going forward. That’s not going away,” said Perrin. Perrin said there was a shortage of available teachers and substitutes and encouraged people who had time to apply to be teachers. “Many fewer teachers are being graduated; we’ll be dealing with staffing going forward,” he said. Adams Economic Alliance President Robin Fitzpatrick said her organization had worked through the pandemic to help the most vulnerable businesses through funding programs. The goal now is to “Build Back Strong,” she said, noting a big issue facing county businesses is a lack of workers and that it was important to find out what is keeping people from working. Fitzpatrick said she was working with the United Way on childcare and HACC on training. Speaking about the importance of childcare, Diana Fasnacht, Ready to Learn Director from the United Way of Adams County, said that because it’s so important for children, parents, and businesses “childcare is part of the community’s infrastructure.” Fasnacht said there was a shortage of quality childcare, leading to long waiting lists. She said the staffing problems had “impacted employers, impacted families, and impacted earnings.” “Some daycares have had to shut down,” she said, and added that mental health issues, especially for children of preschool age, is now a “crisis.”  It’s overwhelming; there are still a lot of stressful times here for us,” said Dotty Dalphon, Executive Director of the YWCA of Gettysburg and Adams County.  Dalphon said the YWCA is the largest daycare provider in the county. Dalphon said membership at the Y is now at only 800 members – down from 2,000 prior to the pandemic – and that the Y was reevaluating its programs. She said a survey was available on the website for community members to give opinions about how the Y could best serve the community. HACC President John “Ski” Sygielski, said enrollment has been down at the college for the first time in its history. He said 200 searches are underway for human relations and informational technology positions. “We are staying at our current location, but may lease some space out,” he said.  “We think our buildings probably will not go back to full use when we return to classes in May.” Michael Baker, Director of Communication at Gettysburg College said the majority of the campus is vaccinated, and that vaccination is required for students.  “We’re doing all we can to keep the semester as normal as possible,” he said. Baker also said workforce has been an issue. “We’re experiencing significant shortages.” SCCAP Executive Director Megan Shreve said county food shortages were easing. “We now have a pretty good flow of food coming in.”  Shreve noted the continued need for housing assistance, and said there had been many issues with seniors who need help with rental assistance.  Shreve said SCCAP can also provide assistance for childcare. Shreve said her organization needs volunteers to help in the food pantry.

Free tax preparation for seniors available again this year

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AARP’s free tax return preparation program for seniors, Tax Counseling for the Elderly, will operate from the Adams County Office for Aging (ACOFA) 318 W. Middle Street in Gettysburg. Returns will not be prepared for the general public at the Brethren Home this year. Due to COVID-19, procedures continue to be different from usual and the program will still be limited in the number of people assisted this year. The process is slightly different from last year so please read carefully. ALL tax preparation will be done by appointment ONLY.  The process is as follows: Taxpayers MUST make an appointment and bring all tax documents to ACOFA on the appointment date. Appointments will be scheduled every 15 minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:00 – 11:15 am and 12:30 – 1:45 pm. Please call ACOFA to schedule your appointment, 717-334-9296. Appointments will begin on Tuesday, February 8 and conclude on Wednesday, April 13. The process requires you to leave your tax documents with the volunteers. Your return will be prepared without you sitting with the preparer. You will come back that same day, or possibly the next day, to sign your return. One of the consent forms that the taxpayer/s is/are required to sign gives us permission to prepare your return with this method. If you are not comfortable with this, please DO NOT request an appointment with us. At your appointment: Bring photo identification for all taxpayers on the tax return. The interview/intake sheet will be completed and any consent forms signed. All taxpayer documents will be left with one of our trained and certified volunteers for preparation. The taxpayer can wait at the ACOFA while the return is being prepared, or leave and return that same day. A phone number where the taxpayer can be reached that day is required. Please follow these instructions on the day of your appointment: MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Please arrive on time. Each appointment is only for 15 minutes. Go in the front door of the building and the receptionist will let you into the waiting area. Please note that this is different from last year. Bring your own pen to sign your return. Have all your 2021 tax documents removed from their envelopes before coming in. If you receive a letter from the IRS, please bring it with you. If you want any refund to be direct deposited, have your bank account and routing number available. These are located at the bottom of your bank check. Do not bring in a deposit slip; it does not contain all the information we need. Bring the envelope with your prior year return in case we need to refer to it. If you are unable to make your appointment, please call ACOFA, 717-334-9296, to cancel or reschedule. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to reschedule an appointment, but we will try. We will not be preparing any Amended Returns until the end of the filing season. If you receive additional tax documents after your tax return has been prepared and e-filed, you will have to wait until the end of the filing season to correct the original return. The IRS has already announced that service will be slower than in 2021. The need for an amended return could significantly delay your refund.

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