Oklahoma County TRIAD Unofficial Page



This page was updated on November 10, 2024.

     


This page is provided free as a public service. It is not officially affiliated with nor sanctioned by any government agency.



Oklahoma Areawide Aging Agency Senior Resource Directory

(fka Senior Toolkit) 

(now online and updated continuously)

                               


          Be sure to see Deputy Hardin's "Safety Matters" column in each issue



National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) & "Slam the Scam Day" is the 2nd week of March



To quickly find links to topics, no matter which browser you are using, on your keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and then press the F key.  At the top or bottom of the browser, the "Find" bar will open.  Type in the word or phrase and all relevant matches will appear highlighted on this page.  ​


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          Please LIKE the TRIAD on Facebook!!


What is TRIAD?  Simply put, crime prevention for seniors, but it has grown to be so much more as you will see below.


Seniors, have you heard about the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office TRIAD program? We are very fortunate to have this program available to us and thanks to the herculean efforts of the former coordinators, Sgt. Kelli Bruemmer, Corporal Kim Lopez and new coordinator, Deputy Tara Hardin (as of July 2021), and Sheryl Presley of OCPD and the full support of Sheriff Tommie Johnson III, Chief Wade Gourley and all other local law enforcement departments and community partners, the program is growing by leaps and bounds!  Regular meetings are held monthly at 20 different locations throughout the metro area and now online (click here for more info)!!!! They are informal, free, fun, informative, open to the public, and require no commitments on your part.  Additionally, the TRIAD program has grown immensely over the years to include numerous, free, large informational events such as Senior Awareness Days, Informed Senior Seminars, Elder Law Day, Older Driver Safety Day and the Young at Heart Senior Prom, all which take place throughout the year at different locations in the metro area.  Additionally, the TRIAD also partners with a fantastic Oklahoma charitable organization, Sunbeam Family Services, to assist with their Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Back to School Backpacks/School Supplies and Christmas Presents projects.  Please check back here frequently for notices about these upcoming events (see below). Here's an excerpt from the program's website:  (Note:  You do not have to be a resident of Oklahoma County to attend these meetings or events - all are welcome.)

"Sheriff Johnson is committed to keeping our senior citizens up-to-date on current crime trends and safety concerns. TRIAD is a collaborative effort between the Sheriff's office, local police departments and senior citizens working together to reduce and prevent crimes against seniors. Our TRIAD program in Oklahoma County was established in 1997, and, in the years since its creation, has developed and consistently maintained interactive programs in several of our local communities. Our membership grows each and every year, and we look forward to reaching more areas of the county in the years to come. S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Councils are groups which carry out the TRIAD activities. Our goal is to educate senior citizens on crimes directed at their age group and how to protect themselves. We currently have eleven active S.A.L.T. Councils and are looking to start even more. S.A.L.T. Councils are currently active in the following communities:" (see the website under the TRIAD section for meeting locations and times).

Each year, the Oklahoma County TRIAD program hosts several activities and make available several programs for our older adults. A few of these activities are:

  • Refrigerator Card Program: Gives emergency responders immediate information to help serve you better in case of an emergency.
  • Educational Seminars: Programs available on fraud, scams, identity theft, personal safety, etc. Programs can also be developed according to your specific needs.all free-of-charge.
  • Young at Heart Senior Prom: A yearly social event, providing our seniors the opportunity to interact with law enforcement officials and improve relations between Oklahoma County's different communities. Sponsored by Integris Health.
  • Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Donations are accepted from various partners. Those donations are used to assist grandparents on a fixed income to give their grandchildren a traditional Christmas experience, including a Christmas ham for each family, along with gifts presented by Santa Claus at our annual reception.
  • Elder Law Day: A half-day seminar dedicated to legal issues that affect seniors.


The TRIAD program is a voluntary program whose national office is in Alexandria, Virginia. Here's an excerpt from their website:

"Since 1988, Triad has helped law enforcement keep older adults safe in their communities by using older volunteers and others within the private sector who have a vested interest in older adults."  (Source)

"The National Association of Triads is a partnership of three organizations - law enforcement, older adults, and community groups. The purpose of Triad is to promote older adult safety and to reduce the fear of crime that older adults often experience. NATI assists at the grassroots level, helping you organize your Triad and providing a clearinghouse of programs and resources that can be implemented at a community level, and training materials for law enforcement, volunteers, and community groups.

What Triads do:


  • Educate: by sponsoring crime prevention and public education for older adults.
  • Assist: by recruiting and training volunteers to assist police departments, sheriff’s offices and other agencies.
  • Support: by identifying community resources and providing referrals to older persons to help reduce fear and lend moral support.
  • Unite: by involving the older adult population, law enforcement, community agencies, and individuals to identify problem areas in their communities." (Source)



BREAKING NEWS!!!
(Updated 03-10-2023, past stories are at the bottom of the page.)

The TRIAD has S.A.L.T. Councils in 20 locations (including online) and now covers the entire county!!!!  Here's the full list of times and locations:

Oklahoma County TRIAD - SALT Council Meeting Locations & Schedules as of July 11, 2024 (click here for brochure) 




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OffenderWatch®
OCPD recently launched their OffenderWatch® website.  According to the website, it "is the nation's leading registered sex offender management notification tool with hundreds of leading agencies in dozens of states utilizing it."


Care Trak Program

Care Trak is a program that issues bracelets which emit a radio frequency to help participating local officials electronically locate at-risk people who have wandered off or gone missing. Care Trak has been used nationally since 1986, and with it thousands of missing persons have been located.



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UPCOMING TRIAD EVENTS

(Always free, fun, informative, without any obligation and open to the public - please bring your friends!!!!):
(Updated 11-2-2024)



INFORMED SENIOR SEMINAR

Returning in 2025!!!  Probably in April - planning is in the works right now.  Check back here for updates on date, time and location.



FRAUD PREVENTION CONFERENCE
Folks, just like last year's conference, this year's was a resounding success with amazing speakers who once again had timely, critical information to help us avoid all the scams and fraud out there!!  Many thanks again to Deputy Tara Hardin, TRIAD Program Coordinator for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, for organizing this and other great events to help keep the public informed and safe!!!  She has already started planning and organizing the 2025 conference, which promises to be even more amazing and informative!!!  The dates are now set for 2025's conference - they are:  June 13, 20, 27 (all Fridays).  Keep checking back here for times and location updates.


Also, I have posted an updated fraud conference resource list with many of the new links and phone numbers the speakers referenced in their presentations, as well as the ones from 2023's conference and a few additional that I thought were relevant.  Links to those documents will be at the top of this page and on the Publications page.  Note that my list is significantly more comprehensive than the one sent out from Metro-Tech.


Finally, editing has been completed and below are the links to the Zoom videos from the 2024.  You will have to complete a brief login form and once the video appears, there should be a download link in the upper right corner of the page so you can download the videos to your hard drive, if you wish.  Links to all the websites referenced in the presentations from last year and this year are listed in the document at the top of this page, "Magnus Omnicorps Special Report - Fraud Conference Resource List & Other Resources for Oklahoma Seniors"


2nd Annual Fraud Prevention Conference, Day 1, July 12, 2024


2nd Annual Fraud Prevention Conference, Day 2, July 19, 2024


2nd Annual Fraud Prevention Conference, Day 3, July 26, 2024



For more information on crimes and scams, please watch these very informative videos (in ascending chronological order):






OCPD TRIAD Chaplains' Corner at the Annual Oklahoma State Fair

Thanks SO MUCH to all those members who volunteered last year and this year!!


​Follow these websites to get a jump on next year's Fair!!!

Oklahoma State Fair website

Oklahoma State Fairgrounds website

Oklahoma State Fairgrounds map

Oklahoma State Fair Facebook page

VisitOKC.com State Fair website



TRIAD "Young at Heart" Senior Prom (May or June) - 2025 ??


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Exhibitors wishing to set up tables at any of the TRIAD-sponsored events should contact:
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Deputy Tara Hardin, TRIAD Coordinator
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office
E-mail:  tara.hardin@oklahomacounty.org
Office:  405-713-1086 ​​



Also see the OTHER UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR SENIORS section below! 


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Oklahoma Grandparents Raising Grandchildren



​Are you a grandparent and raising your grandchildren?  Estimates vary depending upon the source, but Oklahoma ranks somewhere in the top 5 in the nation of the number of grandfamilies.  Below are resources for you!


Sunbeam Family Services Back-to-School Backpack and Christmas Present Programs....

​Grandparents, if you are raising your grandchildren and you need assistance with school supplies and or want to register for the Christmas Gift Project, please contact Sunbeam at (405) 528-7721 and tell them that you want to register for these programs.  Hurry as there are a limited number of openings and you MUST be pre-registered to participate in Sunbeam's programs. Also, there are specific, new eligibility requirements as of 2023 and not everyone will qualify.





TRIAD INFORMATION:

Click on document to open or right click, then select "Save Target As" to save to your hard drive, then open. Requires Adobe Reader to view - a free download.




TRIAD IN THE NEWS:





Sunbeam Family Services Back-to-School Backpack Program....
2017 - 2024 were GREAT successes thanks to all the great folks at Sunbeam and the volunteers from OG&E, OCPD, OCSO and TRIAD.  Here are some local news channel videos from the event:


Sunbeam Family Services Christmas Gift Program for Grandparents Raising

Grandchildren
Many, MANY thanks to all the volunteers who helped out with this incredible effort - your efforts will put smiles on hundreds of childrens' faces this Christmas, children who might not otherwise have had presents to open.  Special thanks to the volunteers from OG&E, Taber Homes, OCPD, OCSO and all the wonderful TRIAD members and, of course, the amazing Sunbeam staff!  I also want to recognize the Walmart Supercenter at I-40 & MacArthur and their amazing staff for welcoming us and being so helpful and supportive with this effort and Walmart's charitable generosity - there is no way we could do this without your partnership year after year!!   Special thanks to AC, Shelly and Florence who stood behind the cash registers for HOURS to check out all the gifts!!!!  Stay tuned for video links from this year's event!

And an extra special thanks to Odessa Ross and her daughter, Pamala - watch this news story of their incredible efforts to knit hundreds of stocking caps EVERY YEAR that are handed out to the children at the annual Christmas party.

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OTHER UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR SENIORS:  
(Updated 11-10-2024)

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Don't miss these great informative events!!!  They're 100% free and open to the public.  Be sure to tell your friends and bring them with you!!!  And don't forget to go to a monthly TRIAD meeting near you!!!

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​DEA's National Pharmaceutical Drug Take Back Day (annual)
Usually the 3rd or 4th Saturday in April and or October.


More information at this DEA website or this DEA website for a list of take back locations or below for locations open year-round.   Note that most Walgreens, CVS and Walmart Pharmacies have prescription drug drop-off boxes open year round.  Some Walmart locations accept liquid Rx's, but some others do not - call their respective pharmacies first.

If you missed this event, search the DEA's website here for other authorized collection locations or check here:




Medicare Mondays

(A 20-Minute, Monthly, Free & Informative Webinar Series brought to you by the Oklahoma Insurance Department's Medicare Assistance Program) Register here.

2023 Schedule:

All start at 10:00 am CDT

​07/10 - Low-Income Assistance Programs

08/07 - Medicare Options

09/11 - Get Ready for Open Enrollment

10/02 - Open Enrollment

11/06 - Medicare Marketing Guidelines

12/04 - Medicare Changes for 2024



Better with Age Fun Day

Keep checking back for info on the next event!

In affiliation with Caregiver Magazine or here.  *

Follow Caregiver Magazine on Facebook for information on upcoming events.



Second Half Expo 2025

Saturday, October 18, 2025

8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Oklahoma National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

1700 NE 63rd St (south side of the road between N. Kelley Ave & N Martin Luther King

                           Blvd.)

Oklahoma City, OK 73111

More info here (It's free, but RSVP here to avoid the check-in line.)

Click here for Google Map



OKCares (thru OKDHS) Annual Family Caregiver Conference 2025

If you missed 2024's conference, you missed out on a lot of great info.  But, they are supposed to be making the conference available to view after-the-fact once they have finished editing.  Be sure to check the website below for updates.


Be sure to watch the OKCares website for info on the 2025 conference and register to attend.
https://okcares.org or call:  918-493-0604


​Senior Living Truth Series Seminars (monthly)
Outstanding, FREE, informative, and without any obligation whatsoever, the monthly Senior Living Truth Series seminars (online and in-person) are conducted by senior real estate experts Dr. Nikki and Chris Buckelew, Realtors, of OKC Mature Moves and the Buckelew Realty Group.  Dr. Nikki and her panel of industry experts discuss a variety of senior life-related topics such as downsizing, legal issues, long term care, government benefits, dementia and Alzheimer's, aging in place, senior home selling, healthcare, and a host of other subjects of interest to the senior community.  You can see videos of their seminars on their YouTube channel here or their website here – highly recommended!!   Click here for upcoming seminar schedules or call 405-563-7501 to register.


​​Seniors (50+) be sure to check out our new Senior Wellness Center (Part of the MAPS 3 Project) at:

Healthy Living & Fitness, Inc
11501 N Rockwell Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73162

Google Map here

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Socks for Seniors Oklahoma

Contact info for donations & volunteering:

Call/text Sue McMillan at:  Cell: 405-627-7794

E-mail:  socksforseniorsok@coxinet.net​
​3240 W Britton Rd, Ste 103, ​Oklahoma City OK 73120

Socks for Seniors Facebook page

Socks for Seniors website


From their website:  Socks for Seniors OK mission is to provide personal items, including but not limited to socks, for Senior citizens, most of whom are in local nursing homes at Christmas time. Often these Seniors have no local family members or limited interaction with their families and can feel lonely or forgotten during the holiday season. Socks for Seniors OK volunteers want to make these Seniors feel special and remembered by delivering, to the facilities, holiday bags which contain a pair of socks (the most needed item for most seniors in elder care facilities), and other personal care items, like toothbrushes, lip balm, hand soap, lap blankets etc. These bags and their contents are organized and stuffed by Socks for Seniors volunteers in December each year, but the work starts much sooner when volunteers meet to organize items and preparation donations for the bags.








Gold Star Wives of America  

From their website:  "The Gold Star Wives of America is a Congressionally Chartered non-profit service organization that provides assistance and friendship to those who have lost their spouse to a military-related cause of death."


GSW has formal chapters and members-at-large groups all over the country that hold monthly membership meetings.  Join now and support this wonderful organization!


Gold Star Wives (now includes men)    

Oklahoma City Members-at-Large group link (monthly meetings/luncheons at Junior's)

Brochure with application


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TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR SENIORS AND THE DISABLED

Whatever your transportation needs, getting around OKC is much easier thanks to a variety of flexible and affordable services offered by Embark.





RSVP OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

Seniors, are you looking for a place to volunteer, but don't know where to start?  RSVP (Retired Senior and Volunteer Program) will assess your experiences and interests to find the best fit for you! 

Read their brochure here or visit their website here.

Note:  As of May, 2023, they no longer offer their Provide-A-Ride program - news article here.




OKLAHOMA SENIOR JOURNAL (OSJ) with ROBIN GUNN

From the website:  "The Oklahoma Senior Journal is the original senior-focused Oklahoma publication....the original and longest-running 50-Plus publication in the metro."  Click here to see all the locations where you can pick up a hard copy of this invaluable resource for everything senior-related!!!!


Great news!  Robin now has her own radio show!!  It's call "Rise and Thrive" and can be heard every Saturday at 9:05am on KZLS 1640AM and 96.9FM.  You can also listen live on their website or download the companion app for your smart devices (links on website).  Be sure to tune in every week to hear great, informative guests and get all the latest and greatest info for seniors.


You can also hear past shows on the OSJ website or on the app.


You can get a PDF copy of the latest Oklahoma Senior Journal and find out about the OSJ app for your smart device on the OSJ's website's homepage.


Also see their Facebook and Instagram pages.





CAREGIVER MAGAZINE

Get the latest on senior issues, services and upcoming events!! 

Click here for Caregiver Magazine's Homepage

Click here for all issues digital archive or here

Click here to convert issues to PDF format for downloading

Be sure to see Deputy Hardin's "Safety Matters" column in each issue




SENIOR NEWS & LIVING OK NEWSPAPER

Get the latest on senior issues, services and upcoming events!!

Homepage here

Download issues here




WELL PRESERVED ADVISORY GROUP with EUNICE KHOURY
From the group's website:  "If you have not prepared yourself for the life events like illness, retirement living or assisted living costs, we can help! The Well Preserved Advisory group is a team of independent agents ready help you with your insurance and retirement planning needs. We have good information and assist you in creating YOUR best plan. Call today for a no-obligation review of your plan and goals."

Also check the Eunice Khoury's Well Preserved Advisory Group's Events page for other functions that may be of interest to you and sign up for her free e-newsletter!!  

Be sure to tune in to KTOK AM 1000 from 9:06 am - 11:00 am every Saturday to listen to Eunice - she is a wealth of information for seniors especially when it comes to Medicare and other insurance issues and Deputy Tara Hardin, TRIAD Coordinator with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, is a frequent guest!

You can also listen on your computer (live or archived podcasts) or smart device through iHeart Radio app here.





PAST BREAKING NEWS STORIES


Home Title Theft and How to Protect Yourself (12-08-2022)

I have been receiving calls about this for some time as most people have heard the ads on TV and radio for that fee-based service that will monitor you title and alert you to potential theft.  Well, some county assessors, including Oklahoma County, offer a similar service for FREE!!!  Go to the Oklahoma County Lien Alert System and follow the instructions to sign up.  If you live in another county, contact your respective county assessor's office to see if they offer a similar service and if not, you may want to take advantage of below:



Credit Monitoring (12-08-2022)  Still current as of 8/25/2024

Due to Covid, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has extended thru December, 2023, citizens' free weekly access to their full credit reports from each of the Big 3 credit reporting agencies - more info here and here.



Social Security Offices Re-Opening (04-04-2022)

​04-04-2022 - Statement of Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner: Social Security Administration to Resume In-Person Services at Local Social Security Offices:  Online Services and Telephone Remain Most Convenient Ways to Contact Agency



Social Security Payment Schedules Changed for 2022!!!  (11-30-2021)
As far as I can tell, this received almost NO coverage in the press and I haven't been able to find out the reason for the change, but for most recipients, the week in which you usually received your benefit distributions to your bank accounts will now be one week LATER than in previous years and it is still based on the day of the month on which you were born.  Because of this, those who have auto-draft bill payments set up based on when they receive their distributions will have to adjust their finances accordingly.  Here's a good article from AARP on this with links to the new schedule and a very thorough explanation from Investopedia. 

Also see:  Social Security Changes Coming in 2022, U.S. News & World Report, 10/21/2021


​Left Lane Law (10-30-2017)
Confused about the new law?  Hearing different stories from different talking heads on the news?  Here is the full text of the actual law and some news stories in the media:

KFOR  Newschannel 4 (video):  What drivers need to know about the Oklahoma left lane law now in effect
KFOR Newschannel 4 (video):  Left lane law now in effect for Oklahoma drivers
KFOR Newschannel 4:  It’s official! The left lane law is now in effect in Oklahoma
KOCO News 5:  Don’t forget! Left lane law goes into effect Wednesday in Oklahoma
KWTV News 9 (video):  Oklahoma's New Left Lane Law Takes Effect Nov. 1
NewsOK (video):  Left Lane Driving Ban Now the Law​



Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office - Special Information Regarding Tax Scams for 2016
Important Note:  The IRS may call you now.  Please read these important article below regarding this policy change:  

​Official IRS webpage on this subject and new private debt collection practices



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