Upcoming Events
Medicare: The Basics & The Threats
September 27, 2023 at 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Medicare has changed dramatically since its inception. What was intended to be a government run health insurance program with broad benefits for older adults has been allowed to be coopted by big insurance. Learn more about what Medicare Advantage plans are and what they could become in the future without public intervention.
Dr. Nancy Greep will be sounding the alarms about Medicare Advantage and current plans in the House to expand opportunities for private insurance.
Julie Posada, the Health Insurance Counseling Advocacy (HICAP) representative will clarify insurance terminology that can be confusing.
To register for the Zoom event, click here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcuipqTwiEt1qE5pQy87s5J-SBmuuDWac#/registration
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Past Events
2023
Extreme Heat Forum
August 15, 2023 at 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
If you or someone you know are 65 and older, live on California’s Central Coast, and are concerned about rising temperatures in our community, we invite you to join us for our inaugural Extreme Heat Forum presented by the Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network, Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and the Community Environmental Council on Tuesday, August 15, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.
Extreme heat events are increasing in the United States and the rest of the world. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, shared his deep concern over increasingly intense and frequent heat waves by warning the public that, “The era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived.” It is crucial now more than ever to stay informed about extreme heat and learn how to stay cool during these extreme events.
The forum will be offered in person (at our new Environmental Hub in downtown Santa Barbara) and live streamed via Zoom. Space is limited for the in-person option and an RSVP is required to attend (both in person and via Zoom).
About this Forum
Dr. David Lebell and Rich Appelbaum of the Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network, Pam Bury and Maureen Ellenberger of Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, Yumi Sera, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications, and Em Johnson, CEC’s Director of Climate Resilience will lead a discussion of the real and lasting impacts of heat and climate change on our elderly, how seniors can play a more active role in protecting our most vulnerable populations, and what actions are needed to ensure we not only support resiliency at the neighborhood level, but also at the policy level.
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Longevity, Health and Dementia: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
July 13, 2023 at 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Join us in person or virtually for this conversation-style forum by Stan Frochtzwajg, MD and David Lebell, MD on an update on actions we can take to help improve longevity, ways to slow or mitigate dementia, and improve ‘health span’—not just a longer life but more good years in which we are more physically and cognitively capable and engaged. Over the last five years, there has been considerable progress in the research and our understanding of these topics. We will discuss many of the eye-opening advances along with new insights into how known contributors to longevity, such as exercise, can be more effectively applied. Dr. Frochtzwajg will describe how he is incorporating this growing body of research into his family practice and finds himself focusing more of his time with his patients talking about these accessible modifications to their lives, which has the potential for a bigger impact on the patient’s health span than simply prescribing medication.
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Tour of the County Emergency Operations Center
March 23, 2023 at 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
You are invited to visit the state-of-the-art Santa Barbara County Emergency Operations Center located at 4408 Cathedral Oaks Road. You will be given a private tour of the facility by Fire Chief, Mark Hartwig and Director, County OEM Director Kelly Hubbard. You will hear from these professionals about the emergency notification system from the point of the initial 911 call, the importance of the mutual aid system, the use of mapping an incident to the notification of at risk individuals, the use of technology to monitor an emergency and much more. There will be time for questions as well.
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Caregivers: How to Get ’em, How to Keep ’em, How to Support ’em
February 23, 2023 at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
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Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network Annual Meeting
January 25, 2023 at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Gray Panthers Members and Friends,
You are invited to the Gray Panthers Santa Barbara Network Annual Meeting to be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 25 at 5:00 p.m. At the meeting, members will elect our officers (chair, recording secretary, membership secretary, and treasurer) as well as the Board of Directors, some for a one-year term and others for a two-year term. Let us know immediately if you are interested in serving as an officer or member of the Board so we may include you in the election process. If interested, please email info@sbgraypanthers.org with your contact information and a statement about why you are interested in serving. We welcome your input on issues you would like the Gray Panthers to address in the coming months. Our policies can be found on our webpage at: www.sbgraypanthers.org.
To participate in the Annual Meeting, you will need to register in advance by using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/
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2022
Gray Panthers Event: The Wisdom of Elders
June 13, 2022 at 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Join us in person or over zoom for our event, The Wisdom of Elders where four of our wise community members Pravrajika Vrajaprana, David Moore, Lois Capps, and Steve Cohen will be sharing their pearls of wisdom.
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2021
WHO IS SCAMMING YOU NOW? – COVID-19 and Current Scams, a Financial Pandemic
November 8, 2021 at 5:00 pm
This free forum will be of interest to seniors, as well as their family members and care givers, in addressing such issues as:
- The use of fear, isolation and desperate need to trick victims
- Current scams in Santa Barbara County and nation-wide
- What to do to avoid being scammed
- Fraud prevention and intervention
- Victim support
Featured Speaker:
Vicki Johnson, Senior Deputy District Attorney
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Pills or No Pills, that is the Question: how best to improve the quality of life for seniors
September 14, 2021 at 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Featured Speaker: Dr. Camille Hunter, CEO of Coastal Geriatrics
This forum will be of interest to seniors, as well as their family members and care givers, in addressing such issues as:
- Newer approaches to senior wellness
- Inappropriate prescription use in the older population: when too many medications in combination become problematic
- ‘Goals of care’ impact decisions about independent living, discussions with family about end-of-life issues (such as advanced directives), and issues of basic health maintenance such as mammograms or statins
- Maximizing quality of life now: the importance of exercise, diet, and social contact
Given possible risks involved with the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19, we have decided to make this forum, like our previous ones, Zoomed. Please register here and we will send you a Zoom link shortly before the forum.
Meeting Recording
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Forum on Gender: How Much Has Changed Since We Were Young(er)!!!
June 29, 2021 at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Kristin Flickinger, J.D., Executive Director, Pacific Pride Foundation and Marian Shapiro, MSW, Retired SBCC Instructor of The Psychology of Human Sexuality
This forum was another success, with over 50 folks attending. Here is a link to watch it online; you can also see the questions and comments participants added during the program. Enjoy!
Meeting Recording
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Forum on California legislation affecting seniors
April 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Featuring our State Senator Monique Limón and Assemblymember Steve Bennet
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Covid-19 Vaccination Rollout
February 8, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Zoom Forum on the Covid-19 vaccination rollout: What’s Working and What’s Not? Featuring Dr. Peggy Dodds, County Public Health Officer and Jan Koegler, County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager.
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