Last month’s cover story about the isolation of residents in long-term care facilities really pulled at some heartstrings. We’ve received considerable response from readers in similar situations, aching to hug their loved ones and looking forward to when visits will go back to the way they were before the pandemic.

My heart goes out to all of you. While socially distanced visits in long-term care facilities have resumed, we still need solutions for protecting isolated loved ones from another deadly effect of the pandemic: loneliness.

How can you make your voice heard?

• Convey the urgency of this health crisis by writing to your congressmen and state leaders

• Write in to the BEACON (email is best: [email protected])

The good and the ugly

The good news is, even though some things aren’t so great with the world right now, there’s definitely some awesome stuff happening locally.

More events are permitted to take place in Mesa County under the Protect Our Neighbors plan. It’s good to see charity golf tournaments, craft fairs and in-person workshops fill our calendar again, with the possibility of larger events to come. I commend organizers for continuing with important events like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, Senior Law Day and Montrose Oktoberfest (a fundraiser for All Points Transit) in a virtual format. After all, I still find drinking beer and eating pretzels at home very enjoyable.

But it’s also our mission to provide you with information on some of the not-so-fun things—like where our candidates stand on health care issues for seniors (page 24) and what to consider when reviewing your Medicare plans (page 28).

Speaking of Medicare…

Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15 through December 7. For free, unbiased assistance on Medicare, contact your local SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Assistance Project) office. While these state-trained and certified navigators won’t be seeing clients in person due to COVID-19 (in Mesa County), they are available to assist you over the phone. 

• Mesa County residents can call RSVP SHIP at 243-9839 opt. 1, leave a message, and a counselor will return your call. 

• Montrose and Delta residents can call Region 10 SHIP office at 765-3132.

Get in the BEACON Guide

The BEACON Guide is our annual resource directory, which is chock full of local, state and national resources for aging well. This comprehensive guide grows every year as our community welcomes businesses, clubs and organizations that help you age a little more gracefully. 

Planning is underway for the 2021 guides (Mesa County edition / Montrose & Delta edition), which come out in December. Do you know of a club, business or program we should include? Pass along their info by calling 243-8929, or email [email protected]