Prentiss Co. Sheriff’s Office honors senior citizens with fun and educational event
BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – This senior appreciation day featured food, vendors, and dancing.
Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar showed off some line dancing skills at the event. Sheriff Tolar has organized the special day, with the help of TRIAD, an initiative made up of police, sheriff’s departments, and senior citizens. The goal is to keep older adults safe and educated about scams targeting the elderly.
‘We have a group of people here all concerned about seniors and their vulnerabilities and their good things too, they still contribute to our society, and our community,” Sheriff Tolar said.
Working alongside TRIAD is a group called Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, or SALT.
Brandi Lacey is with Senior Medicare Patrol. They help educate seniors, their caregivers, and others on how to detect, report, and prevent Medicare fraud.
Lacey says it is important to keep seniors informed about scams and fraud targeting them.
‘Our seniors are very trusting, that is why I think they take our seniors for granted, but if we are out educating them, they can stand firm and prevent that fraud,” Lacey said.
Other vendors at the senior appreciation day say it is important to give back to those who have meant so much to the community.
‘You meet so many people, especially when we go to nursing homes that have nobody, no one comes to see them, and you are the highlight of their whole month, they love having you there to visit with them,” said Ronnie McCreary, with Forever Young Bootscooters.
“We were asked to come out here, and donate, the community has come together for us so we want to do the same and give back in any way we can,” said Breanna Owens, of Honey & Halo Salon.
For 26 years, TRIAD has held the Senior Appreciation Day, the organization also has events and seminars throughout the year to help protect and educate seniors.
For information on the Senior Medicare Patrol and how to report suspected fraud, go to stopmedicarefraud.org.
