Office On Aging

A major study of the skills of older drivers is falling short of its goal in Howard County, with too few elderly motorists willing to participate.Only 150 people -- of the 650 hoped for -- have volunteered for the 20-minute screenings since they began at county senior centers in March, making officials question whether such a program can work in community-based settings. So Howard County, which is playing an important role in the statewide study, plans a mass mailing to senior citizens to increase participation.

Careerscope Inc. appoints six members to board of directorsCareerscope Inc., a Columbia-based nonprofit career development and job search organization, has appointed six new members to its volunteer board of directors.The new board members who will be beginning two-year terms this month are Judy Friedman of the American Heart Association; Jack Janssen of Chesapeake Biological Laboratories; Bob Martin of Bell Atlantic Corp.; Charles Ramos of C. R. Dynamics; Sherri Tolley of The Ryland Group; and Anthony Wright of Interim Services.

When Elizabeth J. Rappaport showed up at Howard County's annual Older Americans' Day Luncheon recently, she got more than lemon chicken and cheesecake for her $3 ticket.She was introduced to Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. agents, who played a central role in the luncheon: MetLife agents ran a prize drawing, handing out Snoopy dolls and gift certificates; a regional MetLife official gave a speech, mentioning MetLife products and introducing the cadre of agents in attendance; and the company invited the 700 seniors there to seminars on long-term care insurance.

Help available for caregivers of the agedThe challenging and sometimes overwhelming circumstances of caring for aging relatives were illustrated in Dan Rodricks' column, "Care of ill mother too much for woman" (Nov. 14). A daughter tried to manage her ill mother's affairs herself with discouraging results. Caring for an older person does not have to be a singular responsibility, as seemed to be the case in this situation.The Maryland Office on Aging and 19 local agencies on aging offer a variety of programs and services to assist older individuals and caregivers.

Tucked away in Howard County neighborhoods, where houses usually feature basketball hoops and bicycles, is an exploding number of homes outfitted instead with extra handrails on the walls and sit-down elevators running along the stairways.In this county, the number of small group homes for the elderly certified by the state Office on Aging has skyrocketed from 10 in 1990 to 56 today, an increase of 460 percent.The number of larger homes licensed by the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene also has increased, although exact figures are not available, state officials said.

The Howard County Office on Aging and the Easter Seal Society for Disabled Children and Adults Inc. are joining forces to launch an $85,000 vision program for seniors with premature sight loss.The Low Vision Rehabilitation Program will be introduced by Easter Seal and county officials at a kick-off reception this morningat Florence Bain Senior Center in Columbia.The program is designed to help the county's fast-growing elderly population, many of whom are forced to deal with a loss of vision -- often caused by strokes, glaucoma, and various diseases.

For the first time since the Ford administration, the Howard County Office on Aging has a new director -- and she knows it will be difficult to compete with the legacy of Vivian Reid, who retired in November."

Vivian Reid woke up yesterday at her regular hour, 6 a.m., and remembered: "Oh, I don't have to get up this morning." She rolled over and went back to sleep.For Ms. Reid, who until Friday worked as director of the Howard County Office on Aging, yesterday was her first day of retirement. After 47 years of labor in various social service fields, Ms. Reid, 70, faced the blank canvas on which she now must paint the remaining years of her life.Her whole career prepared her for this moment, and she saw only possibilities: learning to fly airplanes, getting better at using her computer, writing children's books and, of course, traveling.

Vivian Reid, who retires Friday after 19 years as director of the county's Office on Aging, will get a send-off party tomorrow from Howard County's seniors in west Columbia.The event, at Florence Bain Center in Columbia's Harper's Choice Village, comes as the Office on Aging celebrates its 20th anniversary. Ms. Reid, 70, led the office as it grew from a small operation at the Oakland Mills Village Center to 10 centers that serve more than 3,000 seniors."She's been a very good administrator," said Amelia Cressman, chairwoman of the Senior Advocates of Howard County.

As Vivian Reid prepares to step down after 19 years as administrator of the Howard County Office on Aging, her agency is seen as an important safety net for many of the 20,500 county residents age 60 and over."