Our meeting in March will be a presentation about the Aspen Club by Julie Adams, Manager of Volunteer Services at Longs Peak Hospital. The Aspen Club, through UCHealth, is a community resource for those over 50 with over 12,000 members. It was established in 1989 to provide a wide range of program benefits including health education, screenings, hospital discounts and social opportunities throughout northern Colorado. To learn more about what Aspen Club has to offer and to fill out an application please visit: https://www.uchealth.org/services/community-health/aspen-club//

Have you had any problems with the quality of your supplies? I recently received a box of Hollister pouches that was defective. They had some very small slits in the front covers that weren’t really noticeable…well, until they were! I called Hollister and they were great about replacing the box. They simply asked for the Lot number so they could keep track of any other complaints. Turns out I read about this problem during the same time frame from an online group I follow. If you notice any defects, the suppliers want to know and will replace any necessary supplies.

Do you know where to donate supplies? Or where to get supplies if your insurance doesn’t cover all your costs? Locally, GoodHealthWill… has two facilities in Loveland and Greeley. Many people donate supplies there but they may not always have specifically what you’re looking for. Supplies are available at great discounts. There are two other resources that I use for donations: Friends of Ostomates Worldwide and OstoGroup. Friends of Ostomates Worldwide (FOW) have donated supplies to over 95 countries around the world. All of their supplies are donated without cost to recipients and make a huge difference to those in developing countries where supplies are unavailable. OstoGroup, located in Florida, has no-cost supplies for those without insurance (just shipping and handling) and low-cost supplies if you’re needing extra. You can even see their inventory and order from their website. These groups will welcome extra supplies that you’re no longer using or needing, and you can take the deduction off your taxes.

There is a new resource available for ostomates, the National Ostomy Foundation. Located in California, their mission is focused on ostomy research both before and after surgery. They are in the process of building their community resources and hope to host a variety of events across the nation. They also plan to have a national conference on the alternate years from the UOAA so ostomates have an increased opportunity for connection.

Speaking of conferences, the UOAA National Conference is August 6-10 in Philadelphia. The conference schedule is now available and hotel room discounts are good until July 5 (assuming rooms still available). These conferences are a great way to connect with other ostomates and learn a lot.