SERVICES FOR ELDERLY TOPIC OF MEETING

Many elderly in the area don't know what services to accept or refuse, said a representative from the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging.

A gathering of police and 20 local, state and federal agencies on Friday aims to improve understanding.

"Most of these will offer services for free or at a reduced cost for seniors," said Ruth Dockins, spokeswoman for the Agency on Aging.

The Cape Girardeau Senior Information Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the gym of St. Mary's Catholic Church. It is sponsored by the S.A.L.T/Triad council, which is a coalition of senior citizen groups and law enforcement officers.

Besides free blood pressure checks and pneumonia and tetanus shots from the Cape Girardeau County Health Department, assistance with finances and security advice will be offered.

Elderly loneliness

Sgt. Brent Davis of the Missouri State Highway Patrol believes the elderly often become targets for crime out of a desire for personal contact.

"It's loneliness," said Davis, who will speak about con artists on Friday. "People will call them up and talk to them. We all respond to kindness, and these cons can take them in like a child."

Officers from the Cape Girardeau Police Department will also attend to discuss elderly residents' concerns.

Low-interest loans or grants are available through the federal Rural Development for home repairs, Dockins said. Homeowners 62 and older are eligible for home improvement grants. Other low-income families and individuals receive government loans at 1 percent interest, repayable over 20 years.

"There are so many services that seniors are not aware of because they're relatively new," Dockins said.

The APPLE project at Southeast Missouri State University is not well known, Dockins said. It offers assistance to the elderly with a variety of paperwork, including doctor's bills.

Elderly who need assistance with writing wills or powers of attorney might be able to get help from Legal Services of Southeast Missouri in Charleston, Mo., Dockins said.

Several health-care organizations will also attend, and door prizes and a free lunch will be offered, she said.