Community Assessment

The Stoughton Wellness Coalition is in the process of conducting a Community Assessment to help identify the current strengths and challenges in the community in preparation for our next Drug Free Communities Grant application. Their goal is to gather input specific to youth substance use from all areas and perspectives within the Stoughton Area School District Geographic Area. This will assist the Coalition in planning for the resources and help that is needed to serve our community. Please take the time to fill out the survey. survey.alchemer.com/s3/6406816/Stoughton-Survey

Senior Farmers’ Market Vouchers and Distribution

The Area Agency on Aging of Dane County offers vouchers to seniors for use in purchasing $25 worth of fruit, vegetables or herbs at farmers’ markets and roadside farm stands in Wisconsin during the 2021 season (June to October). The vouchers are distributed on a first come/first served basis to those 60 or older, who have gross incomes under $23,828 per year (or $1,986/ month) for a one person household and $32,227 (or $2,686/month) for a two person household, and live in Dane County. One set of vouchers per household regardless of household size.

By June, past participants will receive an application in the mail along with instructions for this year’s program. For those who have never participated in the program and wish to apply, contact AAA Dietitian Shannon Gabriel at (608) 261-5678. Once we receive and approve your application, vouchers will be mailed starting on June 1st. For more information on farmers’ market vouchers, contact the Stoughton Area Senior Center at (608) 873-8585, or call Shannon Gabriel at the number above. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The vouchers may be used at most Dane County Farmers Markets.

Schedule and locations in the Stoughton area:

Stoughton Farmers Market
1050 W. Main Street (Stoughton Shopping Plaza)
Fridays, now thru October, 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Stoughton Community Farmers Market
207 S. Forrest St. (City Hall Parking Lot)
Saturdays, now thru September 25, 8:30 AM—Noon

Eugster’s Farm Market
3865 WI-138
Stoughton (608) 873-3822
Opening June 12

Summer Sign-ups Are Here!

We are excited to announce that the Stoughton Area Senior Center building is open to individuals and small groups by appointment — starting with use of the computer lab, pool tables, Wii Bowling, woodshop and checkout of large-print books. We appreciate your patience as we continue to re-evaluate potential usage and service expansion. Questions? Please call Director Cindy McGlynn (608) 873-8585.

As of now, all visitors to the Senior Center must follow these guidelines:

  • Call (608) 873-8585 to register for a scheduled in-person activity.

  • Wear a mask.

  • Keep a safe 6-feet distance from others.

  • Regularly wash hands/use hand sanitizer.

  • Stay home when feeling ill or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or with COVID-19 symptoms.

  • NOTE: These safety rules are subject to change as we receive more local guidance.

We encourage you to enjoy the warmer days ahead by visiting local parks, and take advantage of our outdoor riverfront space. We now have an extra bench and picnic table, and we will soon have a more accessible launch site for our canoe and kayak rental.

2021 City of Stoughton Volunteers of the Year

The 2021 City of Stoughton Volunteers of the Year recognition went to our very own Stoughton Area Senior Center Meals on Wheels Volunteers! Sincere gratitude to the many people who make this program a success and provide an invaluable service to our community. Mayor Tim Swadley recognized the Proclamation honoring the volunteers and their service at the City Council meeting on April 13, 2021. And, on the morning of April 23, Mayor Swadley presented the Proclamation, a plaque and some delicious cupcakes to some of the volunteers at a gathering outside the Senior Center. View the proclamation.

COVID-19 Vaccine News from the ADRC of Dane County

ADRC Vaccine Information Flyer
We all need to step up to beat COVID-19. We ask you to join us in protecting yourself, your family and friends, and our community by getting vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated adds an important layer of protection for you, your family, and loved ones. Here are some things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine:

· All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are very effective at preventing the disease.

· The most common side effects are pain in the arm where you got the shot, feeling  tired,
headache, body aches, chills, and fever.

· Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available—wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated.

We want everyone in our community to be safe and get back to hugging our families and friends and shaking hands with our neighbors.

We all play a part in this effort, and you are key.

If you have a local healthcare provider, they should be reaching out to you, based on vaccine availability. Visit your provider’s website for more instructions. Keep in mind that there is limited vaccine supply. If you have read instructions on your provider’s website but have not been contacted yet, please be patient as they prioritize their large patient population.

Healthcare providers in Dane County

· Access Community Health Centers: (608) 443-5480, accesscommunityhealthcenters.org

· Group Health Cooperative UW Health: (608) 828-4853, ghcscw.com

· SSM Health: (608) 250-1222, ssmhealth.com

· Stoughton Health: (608) 873-6611, stoughtonhealth.com

· Unity Point Health — Meriter: (608) 417-6000 unitypoint.org

· UW Health: (608) 720-5300, coronavirus.uwhealth.org

If you do not have a local healthcare provider, Public Health Madison & Dane County will match you with a vaccinator in Dane County. Call them at (608) 242-6328 or fill out a survey to get on the list to be matched.

Free Transportation Available
If you are age 65+ and have exhausted all options available to you and still need a ride to your vaccine appointment, call NewBridge Madison for a free ride at (608) 512-0000, ext. 3. This service is available to older adults living independently in a home or apartment—not in an assisted living facility or nursing home.

ANNEX UPDATE

The Stoughton Area Senior Center’s request to regain its next door annex space in two years is on the next City Council meeting’s agenda. We welcome you to share your thoughts on the matter by contacting your Stoughton City Council Alderperson. You may also register to speak or share a written comment during the public portion of the meeting on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 7:00 PM via this online form or through the meeting’s agenda link.

For more details, you may review our local Commission on Aging (COA)’s proposals to the Stoughton City Council and COA’s meeting minutes:

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Stoughton Area Senior Center Director, Cindy McGlynn, at cmcglynn@ci.stoughton.wi.us or (608) 873-8585.

COVID Vaccine Information

THIS JUST IN...Adults who are 65 and older in Dane County that DON'T have a local healthcare provider can fill out a survey and Public Health Madison & Dane County will match you with a vaccinator.

Dane County has begun vaccinating people 65 years old and older, per state guidelines.

If you have a local healthcare provider, they should be reaching out to you, based on vaccine availability. You can also visit your provider’s website for more instructions.

If you do not have a local healthcare provider, Public Health Madison & Dane County will be able to vaccinate you or match you with a vaccinator in Dane County. See their website for details.

In the meantime, it’s as important as ever to continue to still take precautions to prevent the spread of disease, as disease level and hospitalizations in our community remain high.

Information: COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination, Data, and More

Have questions regarding COVID-19? Get info on testing, vaccination, data and more from the following resources:

2019/2020 SASC Survey Results

In late-2019/early-2020, the Stoughton Area Senior Center (SASC) conducted a survey to evaluate our effectiveness, generate ideas and prioritize future goals. We received great information about our respondents’ views and preferences, their suggestions, as well as their critiques. While SASC is currently closed to the public, this survey’s results are guiding our plans for now and into the future. We invite you to take a look –review all the comments we received, as well as the conclusions/observations, and the recommendations our staff and Commission on Aging are now considering to address what we learned. See the full report here: 2019/2020 Survey Results, or call us at (608) 873-8585 for a printed copy.

Enjoy a virtual City of Stoughton meeting

Public meetings for the City Council and city committees are interesting to attend virtually — by phone or over the internet. Plan to join 5-10 minutes before the meeting starts.

No pre-registration is required for council meetings unless you want to speak. To speak at a committee meeting, simply use the built-in chat to send a request to the clerk or meeting host during the meeting. 

To join by phone, call the city at 608-873-6677 to find the phone number for a meeting.

To find both the meeting web link and meeting phone number, visit the City of Stoughton website. On the homepage, first read the City Calendar at ci.stoughton.wi.us for dates and times. 

Usually the meeting phone number and web link appear on the meeting agenda. Council meeting agendas are posted at ci.stoughton.wi.us/council. Committee, commission, and board agendas are posted at ci.stoughton.wi.us/committees. 

For virtual meetings, the City of Stoughton uses GoToMeeting, which is similar to other methods like Zoom, Facebook Messenger Group meetings, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Google Meet.

If you have never joined a virtual meeting before, it is easy to see what the experience is like beforehand. Just visit zoom.us/test and "join from your browser" to see how a virtual meeting looks.

Optional tips: Mute your microphone by clicking the picture of the microphone so that the picture has a slash through it. Either you or the meeting host can turn your audio and video off and on. If you put a sticker over your computer's camera, then it doesn't matter if you or the host turns off your video. 

For more information, call the Senior Center or view a slide show at tinyurl.com/VirtualSASC.

This helpful article and guide is brought to you by Joyce Tikalsky, Senior Center Volunteer

SCAM ALERT: Don't be victim TO THIS LATEST SCAM!

If a FREE, quick, efficient and convenient solution to your aches and pains sounds too good to be true...it is! For a complete description of the latest scam involving durable medical equipment see this fraud alert from Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol.

Here’s the fraud alert takeaway:

How do I Prevent Fraud?

  • Don’t pick up the phone.

  • If you do pick up and don’t recognize the caller, always hang up! It may seem rude, but it’s the best tactic you can use in these harassing phone situations.

  • Protect your Medicare number like it’s a credit card.

  • Don’t order medical supplies from a TV commercial or from an unfamiliar caller/company.

Keep in Mind

  • Durable Medical Equipment is marketed by phone calls, TV commercials and face-to-face meetings.

  • These scammers are trained to entice you to place an order and they are quite persuasive.

  • Once they get your Medicare number, the scam is in motion.

  • ONLY YOUR DOCTOR CAN PRESCRIBE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

What to Do

  • If you have given out your Medicare number to a person whom you suspect of having fraudulent intent, contact SMP. We can discuss with you some steps you can take.

  • If you do think that you would benefit from some type of medical equipment, a back brace, etc., speak directly with your health care professional. They will provide you with local DME specialists who will likely measure you to ensure that your equipment fits you properly and they will show you how to properly wear the equipment.

  • These professionals and specialists can also answer honestly any questions as to whether Medicare will cover the equipment and what out of pocket costs you might incur.

NOTICE: Senior Center is still closed to the public

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Stoughton Area Senior Center continues to be closed to the public indefinitely. While our offerings look different from before, we continue to provide home delivered meals Mondays through Fridays, case management services, general information and assistance, online programming and safer at home engagement, volunteer opportunities, and our monthly Yahara Senior News newsletter — now with puzzles and other activities!

We invite anyone in need of assistance, or looking for a distraction from the pandemic to call us at (608) 873-8585 and visit our Online Activities and Facebook pages. We also encourage you to continue to check the following websites for updates on COVID-19: CDC, DHS, and Public Health.

Mask Mandate –The Latest “Coverage”

Per the order of Public Health Madison & Dane County, people five years of age and older must wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth when in public, which includes in businesses, health care settings, waiting in line, and on public transportation.

Your mask protects me, my mask protects you.
Wearing a cloth face covering will help protect people around you, including those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and workers who frequently come into close contact with other people (e.g., in stores and restaurants).

Masks work best when we all wear them.
Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings. The spread of COVID-19 can be reduced when masks are used along with other preventive measures, including physical distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

Exceptions to the mandate:
Exceptions are made for certain activities such as eating at a restaurant, but during those activities, 6 feet distancing is required at all times. Some people are also exempted if they have a physical, mental, or developmental condition that prevents them from wearing a mask. Federal law requires businesses provide reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. This may mean providing an alternate form of service (e.g., curbside pickup or delivery instead of in person shopping) to a person with a disability who cannot wear a mask.

Need a Mask?
Dane County Mask Makers is a large group of volunteers who sew and donate high-quality, cotton face masks to anyone in need in our community. Learn how you can get a mask or volunteer to help make them by visiting: danecountymaskmakers.com For more information on using and caring for your mask: publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/masks

Whether you choose cloth or disposable, it's important to wear your masks safely.
Here's how to from World Health Organization (WHO)...

 

Stoughton Area Senior Center

248 W. Main Street, Stoughton, WI 53589  
(Map) • Phone (608) 873-8585 • Fax (608) 873-8162
Open Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

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