Panel to offer primer on services

Since the economy took a nose dive, Newport Beach Councilwoman Leslie Daigle has been bombarded with questions from seniors about things like housing assistance, Social Security and medical care.

With the help of city, county and federal agencies, Daigle has put together an upcoming panel discussion on social services that are available for seniors.

“People ... face a maze of opportunities for help from a crazy quilt of government agencies,” Daigle said. “The forum will help people understand the maze of programs.”

The event, 2 to 4 p.m. May 17 at the Newport Beach Central Library, will bring together officials from the Orange County Council on Aging, Social Security Administration, Medicare and other agencies to answer questions from seniors.

“This demonstrates that working together with the feds and county, the city can publicize where residents can go to get help for social security, Medicare, meals, care-giving and veterans services,” Daigle said.

Daigle hopes that the forum will be a one-stop answer shop for seniors on programs from places like the Orange County Community Services, which provides services like transportation, housing and meals to aging citizens.

Many seniors simply don’t know what public services are available to them, said Frank Van Nostrand, a public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration, who will speak at thew Newport Beach forum.

“By educating the public maybe they will pass it on to the people they know at church or in their social club so that can help us educate others too,” he said.