Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington

06/14/2026

Today is World Blood Donor Day! 🩺

Did you know that in low-income countries, up to 54% of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 60 years of age, accounting for up to 76% of all transfusions.

Blood donations are used for patients in need of survey, cancer treatment, and transfusions for blood loss from traumatic injuries. The need for blood is constant, but only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly.

Learn more about World Blood Donor Day: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-blood-donor-day

The World Blood Donor Day, 14 June, serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations.

06/13/2026

⏰Reminder ~ The Public Hearing on our proposed 2027 – 2030 Area Plan is happening this Tuesday, June 16th!

At this meeting, we will discuss our plan for providing services for older adults and individuals needing long term care. Community input is important, please consider joining to share your feedback!

This hearing will be on June 16th from 10 – 11:30 AM. It will be hybrid, so individuals can attend in person or remotely.

All interested community members, organizations, and partners are encouraged to attend! Learn more about our Area Plan at www.altcew.org/about-who-we-are/area-plan.

06/12/2026

Aging & Long Term Care will be closing early today for our bi-annual All Staff meeting!

These meetings are an opportunity to bring our agency together, provide updates, and celebrate the hard work of our staff.

We will return to regular business hours (8:30am – 5:00pm) on Monday, June 15th!

06/11/2026

Stay active and independent with A Matter of Balance!🚶

This evidence-based program emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls, sets goals for increasing activity, and discusses changes that can be made to reduce falls.

Anyone 60 and up can attend! Those who should seriously consider are those who are interested in improving balance, have fallen in the past, or have restricted activities because of falling concerns.

Classes are free and held twice weekly for four weeks, for two hours per day. For more information or to register, call (509) 777-1571, email [email protected], or visit www.altcew.org/a-matter-of-balance.

06/10/2026

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. More than 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, and every one of them deserves understanding, dignity and a welcoming community.

You can make an impact, all month long. Consider joining:

💜An upcoming training or workshop.

💜The Spokane Regional Dementia Friendly Community, a local volunteer effort.

Participate in Brain Health Week June 22nd – 26th:

💜Become a Dementia Friend by learning simple, meaningful ways to better understand and support people living with dementia in your community.

💜Take a memory screening if concerned about your brain health.

💜Attend Brain Health Bingo at the Spokane Valley Library!

💜Learn about local resources during a virtual training.

Learn more about these opportunities: www.altcew.org/news-events/event-calendar

Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW) is your resource for independent living and community based services in Eastern Washington.

06/09/2026

If you are a retiring Washington worker in need of help with activities of daily living, you may be eligible for long-term care benefits from the WA Cares Fund!

Create a WA Cares benefits account and check your eligibility as you plan for life’s next steps.

To learn more about access to your earned benefits beginning this July and help make sure our statewide rollout is a success, visit the WA Cares webpage: wacaresfund.wa.gov

If needing additional help and assistance, contact our Area Agency on Aging at (509) 960-7281 to speak with a person or email [email protected]. We are here to help with navigating the program, answering questions, and providing guidance!

If you are a retiring Washington worker in need of help with activi...

06/08/2026

Guard your Medicare card. Don’t give your Medicare number to anyone over the phone. Don’t text it. Don’t use it to sign up for “free” offers. Saying no is the best defense against scammers.

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Proteja su tarjeta de Medicare. No comparta su número de Medicare con nadie por teléfono. No lo envíe por mensaje de texto. No lo use para inscribirse en ofertas "gratuitas". Decir no es la mejor defensa en contra de los estafadores.

👉 To learn how to best protect yourself and your loved ones from health care fraud, errors, or abuse, contact SHIBA at 509-625-4801 or visit https://www.altcew.org/programs-services/medicare/ today.

SHIBA is your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a free, unbiased, and confidential services of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

06/08/2026

Attend our upcoming Public Hearing on our proposed 2027 – 2030 Area Plan!

At this meeting, we will discuss our plan for providing services for older adults and individuals needing long term care. Community input is important, please consider joining to share your feedback!

This hearing will be on June 16th from 10 – 11:30 AM. It will be hybrid, so individuals can attend in person or remotely.

All interested community members, organizations, and partners are encouraged to attend! Learn more about the Area Plan at www.altcew.org/about-who-we-are/area-plan.

06/07/2026

SNAP is having a paid virtual discussion for Avista customers about ways to lower your bills. They want honest input from Spokane County residents on what you see, what you ignore, and ideas to explain things better.💡

Avista customers living in Spokane County – this is a great opportunity to receive a $125 gift card for just 90 minutes of your time. Participate via Zoom this June if your annual household income is between $20,000 - $110,000.

Apply or learn more: Bit.ly/42cRbbH

The research is sponsored by SNAP and moderated by a third party (Town Good, LLC).

06/06/2026

Exciting news - The Senior Medicare Patrol has a brand-new app! The SMP Medicare Tracker app will help you prevent, detect, & report Medicare fraud, errors, & abuse with news, scam alerts, an interactive game, & a digital My Health Care Tracker!

Download the app today! 📲

👉 To learn how to best protect yourself and your loved ones from health care fraud, errors, or abuse, contact SHIBA at 509-625-4801 or visit https://www.altcew.org/programs-services/medicare/ today.

SHIBA is your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a free, unbiased, and confidential services of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.