Posted in News & Updates
The Health Insurance Marketplace is up and running in New Hampshire and more than 40,000 residents are now enrolled in one of these new health insurance plans. Starting this fall, the Marketplace will have another open enrollment period that will offer residents more plans and health coverage options.
The Health Insurance Marketplace was created by the Affordable Care Act to provide health insurance for people under the age of 65 who can’t get coverage through work. The first open enrollment period began in October 2013.
During that time New Hampshire residents could sign up for a plan on Healthcare.gov, or with the help of a certified health care Navigator or Assister. That open enrollment period closed in April, but residents may still be able to access coverage through the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, also known as Medicaid Expansion.
People who do not qualify for Medicaid, but make below a certain income threshold may be eligible for the newly created New Hampshire Health Protection Program. This provides access to health insurance plans at no cost or little cost to individuals and families.
These plans, like plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace, must include basic care, such as primary care physician visits, prescription drug coverage, emergency room visits and maternity care. There are no lifetime limits on coverage and a person cannot be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition.
For those who do not qualify for the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, open enrollment for all Marketplace plans, regardless of income, will begin in November.
New Hampshire residents will be able to choose from more than 50 plans being offered by five different insurance companies. Thanks to this recent expansion in health insurance options, all of New Hampshire’s 26 hospitals will have contracts with at least three insurance carriers.
The Marketplace also offers financial assistance to people who enroll. Through these Marketplace plans, enrollees may be eligible for subsidies that reduce the cost of premiums and in some cases out-of-pocket costs.
People are not eligible for subsidies unless they purchase a plan on the Marketplace.
It is important to remember that those who decide not to enroll in a health insurance plan this year will be charged a penalty. Under the Affordable Care Act, anyone who is uninsured for the majority of 2014 will be charged a fee equal to 1 percent of your family income or $95, whichever is greater.
In 2015, that fee increases to 2 percent of your family income or $325 per person. It may seem more affordable to go without health insurance, but without coverage you not only have to pay a fee, but you also face the risk of paying for all of your medical costs out-of-pocket.
To help New Hampshire residents understand all the changes to health care, an organization called Covering New Hampshire was created. It is the official, free resource for Granite Staters to learn about the Health Insurance Marketplace and the new, affordable health insurance plans that are now available.
Covering New Hampshire and its website www.coveringnewhampshire.org are also there to connect people with in-person assisters who can help them enroll.
For those who have questions about enrolling, the New Hampshire Health Protection Program or the Health Insurance Marketplace, Covering New Hampshire can answer your questions.
For more information, go to www.coveringnewhampshire.org.
Posted in News & Updates
If your hours have been reduced or you have been laid off, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Your store manager has been provided with a handout that provides information about filing for benefits, as well as answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Available handouts available by following these links:
You may visit one of our NHWORKS Local Offices to take advantage of a full range of services in our Resource Centers, including access to computers and the internet.
The location of the NHWorks local offices are available by following this link: NHWORKS Local Offices.
Posted in News & Updates
NASHUA – We all have a story to tell. Not a dry, chronological inventory of life since birth or a private entry in a diary – but an honest reflection of some aspect of your life, recounted in a style that suites your personality.
Taking that first step in telling your story – in writing a memoir – can often be the most difficult. Join us at the August Seniors Count-Nashua workshop to learn tips on how to get your creative juices flowing to help you write compelling personal essays to cherish and share.
The free workshop is scheduled for Monday, August 11, 2014 at the Nashua Senior Activity Center, 70 Temple St. It begins at 1:00pm.
Workshop presenter is Carolyn Choate, on-air talent and program manager for tv13 Nashua. Choate has a Master’s in Writing from Rivier University with a deep interest in writing memoir following her diagnosis of State 3b breast cancer in 2003.
Advance registration for the workshop is strongly requested. Please call Beth Todgham, Seniors Count-Nashua facilitator at (603) 889-3440 x 132 for more information.
Seniors Count-Nashua is a program of Southern New Hampshire Services.
Workshop participants can come early to enjoy lunch offered by St. Joseph Community Services (Meals on Wheels) in the cafeteria at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. A $2 donation is requested for diners age 60 and over; the price is slightly higher for those under 60. Pre-registration for lunch is required. Call Steve, SJCS site manager, at 882-2106 to reserve your lunch. Lunch is served from 11:45am to 12:45pm.
The workshop is one of a series of free programs offered monthly at the Senior Activity Center. The workshops provide area residents with information on resources available in the community as they age. Programs are filmed by Nashua’s Education Channel 99 and can be viewed on the station or on-line at http://nashua.ezstream.com.
Additional support for the workshops is provided by Southern New Hampshire Services; ServiceLink Resource Center; the Nashua Public Library; and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.
Posted in News & Updates
From mid-July through mid-September, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) a program of the NH Department of Health and Human Services and the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, began distributing fresh produce to more than 4,200 low-income seniors statewide. Seniors who are enrolled through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, or CSFP, at statewide distribution sites in New Hampshire including those run by Southern New Hampshire Services in Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties will receive fresh produce throughout this summer’s growing season.
The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides seniors with a fresh, locally grown bundle of fruits and vegetables grown by 18 New Hampshire farmers. The bundle has a value of about $18 and includes at least four different fruits and vegetables, ranging from apples to zucchini. Fruits and vegetables will be distributed to seniors at more than 60 CSFP sites in New Hampshire. Seniors will also receive recipe ideas and tips on how to prepare and store fresh fruits and vegetables.
The program runs from July 14 to September 12.
CSFP is administered by the Division of Public Health Services at the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and currently reaches about 4,500 low-income seniors 60 years and older in New Hampshire. Income guidelines are up to $1,265 monthly for a senior living alone and $1,705 monthly for a family of two persons.
CSFP provides a monthly food benefit that includes canned meats, fruits, vegetables, cereal, juice, pasta, rice, and cheese, plus recipe ideas on how to use the foods in healthy recipes.
“Public health nutrition programs like these provide nutrition services to low-income seniors who may have a difficult time finding affordable fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. José Thier Montero, Director of Public Health at DHHS. “By providing these foods and education to seniors, we hope to prevent the onset of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.”
Seniors 60 years of age and older who meet the income guidelines are encouraged to call the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Section of DHHS at 1-800-942-4321 to learn how to apply for CSFP and SFMNP services in their community.
Locally, eligible seniors living in the Greater Manchester area and throughout all of Rockingham County can call Southern New Hampshire Services at (800) 256-9880 for information; those living in the Nashua area may call (603) 877-211-0723.
For more information and healthy recipes, visit the NH DHHS website at:
www.dhhs.state.nh.us/dphs/nhp/wic/csfp.htm or www.dhhs.state.nh.us/dphs/nhp/healthyrecipescooking.htm.
SFMNP and CSFP are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Nutrition Service. Community Action Program Belknap Merrimack Counties, Inc., administers SFMNP under a contract with the NH Department of Health and Human Services.
Learn more about the Commodity Supplement Food Program.
Learn more about the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Posted in News & Updates
Do you need more services to stay at home as you age? Do you understand Medicare and supplemental health insurance benefits? Do you need help in taking care of your elderly parents? Have you made phone calls looking for local services, but still haven’t received answers? Are you looking for answers about alternatives to a nursing home?
The questions that arise as you age aren’t always easy, but locating a knowledgeable person to help you find those answers is closer than you think when you contact your local ServiceLink Resource Center.
Learn more about this valuable community resource on Monday, July 14 at the July workshop presented by Seniors Count at the Nashua Senior Activity Center.
Andrea Jaeger, ServiceLink Medicare Specialist, will provide information about the wide variety of services available through the local ServiceLink office, including information on Medicare and Medicaid.
The workshop begins at 1:00pm. The Senior Activity Center is located at 70 Temple St. in Nashua.
Advance registration for the workshop is requested. Please call Beth Todgham, Seniors Count-Nashua facilitator for Southern New Hampshire Services at (603) 889-3440 x 132 for more information.
Seniors Count-Nashua is a program of Southern New Hampshire Services.
Workshop participants can come early to enjoy lunch offered by St. Joseph Community Services (Meals on Wheels) in the cafeteria at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. A $2 donation is requested for diners age 60 and over; the price is slightly higher for those under 60. Pre-registration for lunch is required. Call Steve, SJCS site manager, at 882-2106 to reserve your lunch. Lunch is served from 11:45am to 12:45pm.
The workshop is one of a series of free programs offered monthly at the Senior Activity Center. The workshops provide area residents with information on resources available in the community as they age. All programs have been filmed by Nashua’s Education Channel 99 and can be viewed on the station or on-line at http://nashua.ezstream.com.
Additional support for the workshops is provided by Southern New Hampshire Services; ServiceLink Resource Center; the Nashua Public Library; and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.
Posted in News & Updates
NASHUA – Possessions can be a comfort but quickly become a burden when life changes unexpectedly. How to proactively reduce clutter while preserving memories is the theme of the next Seniors Count workshop.
The free workshop is scheduled for Monday, June 9 at the Nashua Senior Activity Center, 70 Temple St. It begins at 1:00pm.
The presentation will offer practical resources for seniors who desire to reduce accumulated possessions but don’t know where to begin. It will include critical questions to ask for letting go of things and suggestions for including family members in the process.
Workshop presenter is Carol-Martin Ward, owner of Practical Organizing Solutions.
Advance registration for the workshop is requested. Please call Beth Todgham, Seniors Count-Nashua facilitator at (603) 889-3440 x 132 for more information.
Seniors Count-Nashua is a program of Southern New Hampshire Services.
Workshop participants can come early to enjoy lunch offered by St. Joseph Community Services (Meals on Wheels) in the cafeteria at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. A $2 donation is requested for diners age 60 and over; the price is slightly higher for those under 60. Pre-registration for lunch is required. Call Steve, SJCS site manager, at 882-2106 to reserve your lunch. Lunch is served from 11:45am to 12:45pm.
The workshop is one of a series of free programs offered monthly at the Senior Activity Center. The workshops provide area residents with information on resources available in the community as they age. Programs are filmed by Nashua’s Education Channel 99 and can be viewed on the station or on-line at http://nashua.ezstream.com.
Additional support for the workshops is provided by Southern New Hampshire Services; ServiceLink Resource Center; the Nashua Public Library; and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.
Posted in News & Updates
NASHUA – Keeping in touch with family and friends is easier when you are comfortable with tools like email, text messaging, Facebook and Skype. In the latest in its series of free workshops, Seniors Count-Nashua offers information about each of these communications tools, what they are, what each is used for and what technology they work on.
The presentation-only-format workshop will provide participants with ideas to try on their own devices when they get home.
Naomi Schoenfeld, Associate Professor of Education at Rivier University will present the free workshop on Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. The workshop begins at 1:00pm.
The Nashua Senior Activity Center is located at 70 Temple St., Nashua.
Advance registration for the workshop is requested. Please call Beth Todgham, Seniors Count-Nashua facilitator for Southern New Hampshire Services at (603) 889-3440 x 132 for more information.
Workshop participants can come early to enjoy lunch offered by St. Joseph Community Services (Meals on Wheels) in the cafeteria at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. A $2 donation is requested for diners age 60 and over; the price is slightly higher for those under 60. Pre-registration for lunch is required. Call Steve, SJCS site manager, at 882-2106 to reserve your lunch. Lunch is served from 11:45am to 12:45pm.
The workshop is one of a series of free programs offered monthly at the Senior Activity Center by Seniors Count-Nashua. The workshops provide area residents with information on resources available in the community as they age.
Past workshops have included topics on managing money in tight times, senior driving issues, gizmos and gadgets to stay safe in your home, clutter control and being a grandparent in the 21st Century. All programs have been filmed by Nashua’ Education Channel 99. Programs are broadcast Mondays at 1:00pm and can be viewed on-line at http://nashua.ezstream.com.
Additional support for the workshops is provided by Southern New Hampshire Services, ServiceLink Resource Center, the Nashua Public Library, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services: Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.
Posted in News & Updates
CATCH Healthy Habits, presented in Manchester by SNHS’ Volunteer Services Department, is celebrating the addition of five new volunteers as it starts its new program year.
CATCH (Coordinated Approach for Child Health) is funded through the Wellpoint Foundation, which is known locally as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. It is active in Manchester through a partnership between the OASIS Institute and Southern New Hampshire Services.
The goal of CATCH Healthy Habits is to improve the health and wellbeing of children in kindergarten through grade five and adults age 50 and older while fostering positive intergenerational relationships. The program also increases community engagement through volunteerism.
Volunteer teams of 2-4 adults present a series of lessons that involve a healthy snack, nutrition education and fun physical activities in once-a-week one hour sessions. Since the program began in 2011, CATCH Healthy Habits has served over 200 children and 17 adult volunteers.
Locations where the program is active include the Boys and Girls Club of Manchester, SNHS Head Start, Beech Street School, and Families in Transition. McDonough Elementary School was recently added as a program site. The CATCH Healthy Habits program is being implemented at the school as part of the 21st Century afterschool program.
New Hampshire ranks as the 28th most obese state in the nation; CATCH Healthy Habits works to increase physical activity and improve nutrition in both adults and children to help combat the rise in obesity.
CATCH Healthy Habits is currently recruiting additional volunteers to allow it to expand the program to other Manchester locations. Volunteers, age 50 or better, who participate in the program are trained and encouraged to participate in other forms of healthy activities outside those that occur within the program.
Those interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to contact Elise Jordan, CATCH Healthy Habits Program Coordinator, by phone at 603-634-1169 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
